<P> Good automated manufacturing practice (GAMP) is both a technical subcommittee of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and a set of guidelines for manufacturers and users of automated systems in the pharmaceutical industry . More specifically, the ISPE's guide The Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP) Guide for Validation of Automated Systems in Pharmaceutical Manufacture describes a set of principles and procedures that help ensure that pharmaceutical products have the required quality . One of the core principles of GAMP is that quality cannot be tested into a batch of product but must be built into each stage of the manufacturing process . As a result, GAMP covers all aspects of production; from the raw materials, facility and equipment to the training and hygiene of staff . Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are essential for processes that can affect the quality of the finished product . </P> <P> A group of pharmaceutical professionals have banded together to create the GAMP Forum, which is now a technical sub-committee, known as the GAMP COP (community of practice) of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). The goal of the community is to promote the understanding of the regulation and use of automated systems within the pharmaceutical industry . The GAMP COP organizes discussion forums for its members . ISPE organises GAMP - related training courses and educational seminars . Several local GAMP COPs, such as GAMP Americas, GAMP Nordic, GAMP DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), GAMP Francophone, GAMP Italiano, GAMP Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) and GAMP Japan bring the GAMP community closer to its members in collaboration with ISPE's local affiliates in these regions . </P>

Guide for validation of automated systems in pharmaceutical manufacture