Iso 13485 / Gamp / Fda / Isa 88 / Iec 61131-3

moakdi

Member
Join Date
Sep 2004
Posts
7
Hi ...

Firstable to say happy new year to everyone ...
I just need educational help!!!!!

My question :

I'm looking for some FREE (no ****) information about the subject over, especially ISO 13485.

The fact is that i have long experience in automation systems working in Spain, but now i want to move to Ireland where most of the business are about pharmaceutical companies.
I have no experience about and I want to get as much information as i can ... I got already information about every subject, so i know everything about definitions, scope applications ...
But it seams that every good and useful information cost around 500€

Could please someone help me with some PDF or similar.

If somebody is interested in the same subject I could send to him the information a I got.

Thanks in advance.

(Personal comment :Information should be free )
 
Theory of Value.

Information should be free.

It isn't.

It isn't because it costs money to produce the information.

While people are often generous (such as those who post here), many also need to feed their kids.

And so they sell information, instead of just giving it away.

ISO, ISA and GAMP are such groups. Join them, and THEN you can get copies of the standards, sometimes for free.

Once you've spent money on information, think about how likely you would be to turn around and then just give it away.

Otherwise, google the above standards, and be content with generous people's interpretation of the standard.

(And yes, on my bookshelf, I have S88.01 and .02, 21CFR (parts 1 to 199 and 200-299, and GAMP 4)
 
Last edited:
Ok darling ….

All this speech is really reasonable …
But let me tell you something:

It Is quiet fair that if you own a company and you want to have the quality stamps, you pay for ( as there was some few groups that beside to get a quality regulation on the industrial world, they got too such a big business ).

But I always believed that the purpose of the quality normative was obligate to the industry to put more attention on the quality results and in this way minimize risks and get better results.

Now … please be honest with yourself … In this world ( and I’m talking as a worker ), it is not enough to be good, you have to be the best … and sure you are … sure you know about a lot of software, fact that is possible just because you, in your home, were teaching yourself, paying for every license of those software, in the same way, sure you paid for every pdf, every ppt, every doc you read to learn and became a competitive professional. Sure you did it. And probably for that reason you finally changed your vocation and instead of work in a productive engineering area, you became part of the speculation world, trying to get as much money as you can, whatever the source is.

But the fact is that I haven’t got this money, and far from get direct benefits from this information, the only I want is to get enough knowledge about, to be able to work for companies which are paying for this information to this hungry people you are talking about.

P.S. : When I asked for information, I asked for some “FREE (no ****) information”, and although my English is not really good, for me FREE means FREE. By the way, “information should be free” … Sure there are so many interpretations, but another reading of the sentence is that you pay to learn some information, with the time to spend learning this information, but you just physically pay for this information when you use it. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay for the work that other people made, this is a simple interpretation for someone who has some interest involved (like a bookshelf).
I apologize if I was a little bit rude, but after being working so hard, it is not easy to accept such rhetorical answers.
 
My dear moakdi:

The point of my post is simply that you will have to pay.

The only free copies of these specifications are pirated versions, and those are usually shut down as fast as they appear.

The sooner you reconcile yourself to the fact that you are going to have to pay, the sooner you can be happy, since it seems that not being able to find free copies is making you unhappy.

I'm not offering you my opinion on whether I think that they should charge at all, or if they charge too much, or whatever. They charge. They have that right.

Does it create a barrier for entry into an arena? Yes.
Is it fair? That depends on your basis of comparison.

And you didn't ask for my (or anyone else's) intrepretation of the standards. You asked for a PDF of the standards. You asked for someone to send you an illegal copy, and steal from those who own the standards and wish to charge for those copies.

If you wish to discuss a particular point of a standard, or what you think the standard is about, I'd be willing to join in (as I said, I do have copies. I own my own S88 and 21 CFR - niether of these are expensive; GAMP 4 is owned by the company for which I work).

Some advice: For the most part - don't bother getting the actual standards. They are, in some ways, too general to be useful. Focus on getting people's interpretations of the standards; i.e., what they REALLY mean, not what they say.
 
Last edited:
Sorry Nelson …
I think we misunderstood each other, because my bad exposition.
I’m actually asking for some interpretations. As I said, I’m a beginner in this scope.
When I said (FREE but no ****), I was actually talking about interpretation, but the fact is that the stuff I got was mostly presentations of company in their web sites, magazine adds for industries, and this kind of texts where they practically say nothing. When I asked for some PDF, DOC I was talking about some files ( I use to print all my docs in PDF) like could be personal interpretations or notes from the University, …
I don’t know why ( Terrible mistake), but when I read your message I understood that you where offering to sell me one of this pirated copies. I’m sorry.

Actually you are totally right, to be able to interpret the original copies, you have to be in some level where sure your company is paying for …

So lets us to start from the beginning:
 
On the stage I’m now, what I really need is to set the connections between the different concepts.
Ok … I’m going to explain you what I know, (Asking few thing), and it would be I big help if you correct me on my wild comments…


Starting from the American Law there is the 21 CFR ( Code of Federal Regulation) that address how food and drugs should be made … FDA Regulations are spelled out in 21 CFR.
We could say that the most relevant parts for Automation controls are within 210/211/11/26.

Once we have the rules to follow, we need to know how to do it. GMP is an interpretation of FDA, that the pharmacy association made in order to avoid confusions and establish some guideline easy to follow.

At the same time the FDA compose an organization with several department for testing and quality stamps like CDER, CESAN, …

Now talking in practical words …
When we configure a project, we have to prepare some documentation for the validation, such as:
- USR (User Requirement Specifications), Where the customer explain what he want.
- FRS(Functional Requirement Specification). That have to be done before to start the process … some time between you and the customer regarding USR, sometime it is done for the customer before you start the project. It is a list of functions that the machine WILL DO according of rungs from the PLC.
- DDS(Detailed Design Specification). It is the traceability matrix, it means a list of the system functions, in relation of the FRS list of issues.

Then after the project is done, and the documentation ready, the validation comes ...

The test plans are mostly:

- IQ (Instruments Qualifications). Hardware and electrical test.
- OQ (Operational Qualification). Verify functional process. PLC/HMI work as it supposed they work.
- PQ (Process qualification). Verify the finally process. The product it is the product it means to be.

Now Some questions ….
WHO ACTUALLY DO THE VALIDATION TEST in a practical situation FDA/GAMP and when? … Does the fact to join the GAMP mean that you have to pass auditions (every project / months / year).
Let’s go to say that we have a project of an Automation Pharmaceutical Storage, where the pharmaceutics log in, and ask for some pills, and the machine just supply it, regarding the date and everything… You said you have to apply “GMP for everything that affect the quality of the process” is this an example of a situation to apply FDA Laws? …does It depend on the Pharmacy? …. Who decide it?
When you fill all the documentation that is going to be validate, do you have to follow a format that GAMP supply?, does it depend on the Customer?


Other Subject …

ISO 13485 …. It comes from ISO 9001.
This standard has not been adapted by FDA who will continue to have separate Quality System Regulation (QSR) requirements. However, the FDA participated in writing ISO 13485:2003 to make sure their requirements are aligned.

Reading this sentence the questions came for they self … What is ISO Scope? Can you practice ISO normative instead of GAMP? Is GAMP working with ISO? Depend of the Customer? Is some pharmaceutical company working with ISO? Is it something about America and Europe?
More Subjects ….

ISA S88.01 …. It is a design philosophy for software, equipment and procedure.
S88 Provide a consistent set of standards and terminology for batch controls.
Typically following S88 on a project means define the physical model, procedures and recopies.
There is a functional specification to follow (define what de system should do and what functions and facilities are to be provide). There are several models that describe it such GAMP Life Cycle ( that we will discuss on the future).
S88 establish a terminology talking about Physical model ( Hierarchy of the equipment), Procedure model( controls that enable the equipment in the physical model), States and commands (matrix of states and commands for the elements of the procedure models) …
Questions …
In a practical situation, do you always work with S88, or is the customer who ask you for an own normative based in S88? Do you use to follow step by step GAMP Life Cycle, document ting every action or it is just a guideline? Does the fact to us S88 mean that you have to pass auditions (every project / months / year). Which is the connection between FDA/GAMP/S88.



I will Thank you every information / explanation you can give me as I will be really happy if you did it from a practical point of view.
 
This is more like it.

WHO ACTUALLY DO THE VALIDATION TEST in a practical situation FDA/GAMP and when?
That's going to depend on which company you are dealing with. Each pharam company has it's own "Validation Group". These people will (eventually) approve the documents that (contractually) you will write (again, which documents those are will depend on the company.)

The FRS and DDS are usually part of the contract.
Usually you will have a FAT/SAT (Factory/Site Acceptance Test), but not always.
I've sometimes writen URS (I shouldn't have, but that's what I was paid to do).
The IQ, OQ can be done as part of SAT, done separately from SAT, or done instead of SAT.
It all depends on the company.


Does the fact to join the GAMP mean that you have to pass auditions (every project / months / year).
No. Unlike ISO certification, GAMP doesn't certify. GAMP just has a Guide for how to write your documents. The guide is pretty broad, and not tailored to control systems, but systems in general.


Let’s go to say that we have a project of an Automation Pharmaceutical Storage, where the pharmaceutics log in, and ask for some pills, and the machine just supply it, regarding the date and everything… You said you have to apply “GMP for everything that affect the quality of the process” is this an example of a situation to apply FDA Laws? …does It depend on the Pharmacy? …. Who decide it?
First of, what you are talking about here is post-manufacturing. So Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) doesn't apply, exactly. But since this machine that you describe does touch the pills, interacts with them, potentially damages or contaminates them, then, yes, the FDA would be involved.

There are many GxP requirements in 21 CFR, and I'm sure that such a machine would be covered in there somewhere. I'm guessing "Medical Devices", but you'd have to do a bit of research to figure it out. I'm guessing (since I've never done medical devices) that you'd have to have the FDA come in and review all you documentation themselves, rather than any one company's validation department (which in turn would be audited by the FDA).

When you fill all the documentation that is going to be validate, do you have to follow a format that GAMP supply?, does it depend on the Customer?
It will depend on the customer. You certainly won't go wrong if your table of contents matches the one in GAMP 4, but you might not go right either. A pharmaceutcial company may have in place an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) on how to write a document. THIS is what should be followed, since this is part of the company's Quality Plan to show that everything is done using a method that they have shown (to the FDA) that diminishes risk. If they don't follow their plan, then the FDA gets mad. It doesn't matter if the plan is sensible, or follows GAMP - if they have a plan, you must follow it.

Reading this sentence the questions came for they self … What is ISO Scope? Can you practice ISO normative instead of GAMP? Is GAMP working with ISO? Depend of the Customer? Is some pharmaceutical company working with ISO? Is it something about America and Europe?
Regarding ISO (9000, 9001, 13485, etc): Just as the pharmaceuticals must have a quality plan, so must their vendors. ISO certification proves that you have such a plan, and that you follow it. They are not the only quality plan certifier around (CSIA has one too), and even with ISO, you are still going to be audited by a pharma to get on an "approved vendor" list (before they will even give you a Request For Quote), but it can help.

But it's not required. What is required is a detailed plan which shows how you execute projects; how you select and train your staff to make sure that they are "qualified" to execute a project; how you track changes.

In a practical situation, do you always work with S88, or is the customer who ask you for an own normative based in S88?
S88 is a whole different game. First of, unlike 21 CFR, it's not a compliance standard, but a guideline.

It is simply a tool which allows you to organize your project. Organizing a project based on S88 may help you write a more organized functional spec, which may lead to a better FAT/SAT/IQ/OQ, both in terms of ease of execution, and assurance of quality. Or it may not - that's going to depend on your overall organization and writing skills, and your understanding of GAMP/FDA requirements.
Sometimes the customer requests that you follow S88. Sometimes they even understand what that means. Sometimes a project lends itself to S88 organization, so you use it. It's just another tool in the kit.

Do you use to follow step by step GAMP Life Cycle, document ting every action or it is just a guideline?
It's just a guidleine. There is no "GAMP 4 Compliance", no audit by GAMP

Does the fact to us S88 mean that you have to pass auditions (every project / months / year).
It's just a guidleine. There is no "S88 Compliance", no audit by ISA to prove that you followed S88

Which is the connection between FDA/GAMP/S88.
None. Different organizations. Different goals (except for GAMP, which was formed to figure out a method to comply with FDA regulations.
 
Last edited:
Thanks a million Nelson …

Now I know more or less where I am, so what I want to achieve …
It was a big help … sure as soon as I start to dedicate more time I’ll have new doubts …
Keeping in touch
 

Similar Topics

G
Hi ... My question : I'm looking for some FREE (no ****) information about the subject over, especially ISO 13485. The fact is that i have long...
Replies
3
Views
3,294
I used up my last new Allen-Bradley SLC 5/04 controller. Does anyone have info on a good reliable place to get a new one for a decent price, or...
Replies
3
Views
530
I have no experience with KepWare and am having trouble getting FTV SE to communicate. We have one computer in the field with FTV SE and...
Replies
0
Views
825
Wizards, I have a hard drive failure in a National Instruments controller. I am able to replace the drive, however the ISO dvd that came with...
Replies
4
Views
2,092
Hello everybody, i uninstalled and reinstalled my Step 7 but afterwards any project I will open has an object that cannot be displayed or loaded...
Replies
1
Views
1,362
Back
Top Bottom