Rx-360 launches Audit Sharing Programme

Published: 21-Sep-2011

Pilot for the scheme demonstrated its benefits


Supply chain security consortium Rx-360 has launched its Audit Sharing Programme, the collection and sharing of reports from audits conducted by individual member companies on their suppliers.

A pilot for the scheme, completed in July, demonstrated that shared audits provide a broader picture of Quality Culture and performance and allow existing reports to be used to identify and pre-screen new suppliers. Shared audits also allow potential savings with evaluation of reports/responses to reduce supplier audit frequency/length, or audit scope.

In the Audit Sharing Programme, Rx-360 member audit reports (and associated audit responses from the suppliers) can be uploaded into a secure database with agreement from the supplier. Other interested companies (as agreed to with the supplier) can then access them.

Rx-360 said this sharing of information could provide pharmaceutical manufacturers with on-going information about specific suppliers of interest, while providing suppliers with visibility to potential customers and the possibility, over time, of reduced pre-audit paperwork, and frequency and/or length of audits.

Najib Sehat, head of MM-PP Regulatory & Technical Services, Merck Millipore Division, said: ‘Sharing audit reports enables pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase immediately their knowledge of raw material quality and level of regulatory compliance, and it will improve the visibility of suppliers to other potential companies (customers).

‘This is a jump start to transparency for the entire organisation and will bring immense gain in knowledge for stakeholders.’

Andy Polywacz, vp of Quality, Americas, West Pharmaceutical Services, said: ‘The long-term benefit is a potential reduction in repetitive audits which in turn allows resources to be focused on continuous improvement efforts. This is a positive interaction between suppliers and the pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve the sharing of information and in turn improve the robustness of the supply chain.’

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