Rishabh Viswas,
Md Zulphakar Ali,
Kamalesh Mistry,
Md. Aftab Alam,
Noorul Huda,
Peeyush Jain,
- Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
- Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
- Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
- Dean, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Mewar University, Gangrar, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a paradigm shift driven by stringent regulatory expectations and the demand for high-quality, safe, and efficacious drug products. Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) serve as the two foundational pillars that ensure pharmaceutical integrity from raw material acquisition through to product release. Traditional QC and QA practices, while effective, have been challenged by complex formulations, biologics, and personalized medicine, requiring innovative methodologies and technologies. This review explores recent advances in QC and QA that are revolutionizing the pharmaceutical landscape. Cutting-edge developments such as Process Analytical Technology (PAT), Real-Time Release Testing (RTRT), and high-resolution techniques like ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy have enhanced the precision and speed of quality assessment. Moreover, the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in predictive quality analytics enables real-time monitoring, defect prediction, and adaptive process control, reducing human error and enhancing compliance. On the QA front, innovations in Quality by Design (QbD), electronic Quality Management Systems (eQMS), and blockchain-enabled data integrity systems are reinforcing traceability and accountability across manufacturing chains. Incorporating regulatory frameworks such as ICH Q8-Q12 guidelines and global harmonization strategies have significantly improved standardization. Despite these advancements, the industry faces challenges including high implementation costs, digital transition barriers in emerging economies, and the need for skilled personnel. By highlighting these transformative developments, this review underscores the importance of integrating modern tools into QC and QA practices to uphold pharmaceutical product integrity, patient safety, and regulatory compliance. These emerging strategies not only strengthen current systems but also pave the way for future innovations in the quality-centric pharmaceutical ecosystem.
Keywords: Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Pharmaceutical Compliance, Process Analytical Technology, AI in Pharma, Quality by Design, Regulatory Standards
[This article belongs to Research and Reviews: A Journal of Pharmaceutical Science ]
Rishabh Viswas, Md Zulphakar Ali, Kamalesh Mistry, Md. Aftab Alam, Noorul Huda, Peeyush Jain. Recent Advances in Quality Control and Quality Assurance: Enhancing Pharmaceutical Product Integrity and Compliance. Research and Reviews: A Journal of Pharmaceutical Science. 2025; 16(02):54-62.
Rishabh Viswas, Md Zulphakar Ali, Kamalesh Mistry, Md. Aftab Alam, Noorul Huda, Peeyush Jain. Recent Advances in Quality Control and Quality Assurance: Enhancing Pharmaceutical Product Integrity and Compliance. Research and Reviews: A Journal of Pharmaceutical Science. 2025; 16(02):54-62. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjops/article=2025/view=215649
References
- ICH Harmonised Tripartite Guideline. Pharmaceutical Quality System Q10. International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use; 2008.
- Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: PAT—A Framework for Innovative Pharmaceutical Development, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance. FDA; 2004.
- European Medicines Agency. Guidelines on Real-Time Release Testing (RTRT). EMA; 2012.
- Narayanamurthy G, Gurumurthy A, Moser R. Assessing the readiness for Industry 4.0 implementation in the pharmaceutical industry. J Manuf Technol Manag. 2020;31(3):501–27.
- Rantanen J, Khinast J. The future of pharmaceutical manufacturing sciences. J Pharm Sci. 2015;104(11):3612–38.
- Patel SM, Patel BM. Quality-by-design (QbD) approach in pharmaceutical industries: revolutionizing the regulatory framework. Curr Drug Metab. 2021;22(7):507–24.
- European Pharmacopoeia Commission. European Pharmacopoeia 10th Edition. Strasbourg: EDQM Council of Europe; 2020.
- Food and Drug Administration. Data Integrity and Compliance with Drug CGMP: Questions and Answers Guidance for Industry. FDA; 2018.
- Kourti T, MacGregor JF. Multivariate SPC methods for process and quality monitoring. J Qual Technol. 1996;28(4):409–28.
- Lim Y, Wong L, Gohel M, Ong K. Implementation of blockchain for pharmaceutical quality assurance. J Pharm Sci. 2021;110(3):1334–48.
- Yu LX, Amidon G, Khan MA, Hoag SW, Polli J, Raju GK, et al. Understanding pharmaceutical quality by design. AAPS J. 2014;16(4):771–83.
- Singh R, Manchanda P. Role of artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical quality assurance. Int J Pharm Sci Res. 2021;12(5):2378–90.
- Garcia T, Goodwin D, Hashemipour M, Jagdale P. Smart quality control using machine learning in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Comput Ind. 2022;133:103570.
- Raman NV, Kumar SM, Prasad AVS. An overview of regulatory guidelines for chromatographic method validation. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2016;113:166–74.
- Boon K, Schockaert S, De Cock M. Application of deep learning in pharmaceutical quality control. AI in Drug Dev. 2020;11(2):110–23.
- Yu LX, Lionberger R, Raw A, D’Costa R, Wu H, Hussain AS. Applications of process analytical technology to non-sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing and validation. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2003;4(4):E62.
- Kale A, Khandelwal P. Role of spectroscopy in quality control of pharmaceuticals. Spectrochim Acta Part A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2020;238:118422.
- Narayan P, Rawlings JB. Model predictive control in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Comput Chem Eng. 2020;139:106864.
- Ouyang H, Jensen KP, Jørgensen PS. Pharmaceutical quality and safety regulations: an international perspective. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2019;8(7):397–404.
- Rogers T, Danko CG, Isaacs FJ. Next-generation sequencing in pharmaceutical quality control. Trends Biotechnol. 2021;39(9):927–40.
- Kim SJ, Woo SG, Lee HS, Lee JS. Blockchain in pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain management. Comput Ind Eng. 2021;161:107675.
- Kumar, S., Saha, S., Singh, K., Singh, T., Mishra, A. K., Dubey, B. N., & Singh, S. (2024). Beneficial effects of spirulina on brain health: A systematic review. Current Functional Foods, 3(1), Article e120124225622. https://doi.org/10.2174/0126668629269256231222092721
- RaviKKumar VR, Rathi S, Singh S, Patel B, Singh S, Chaturvedi K, Sharma B. A Comprehensive Review on Ulcer and Their Treatment. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2023 Dec 21;39:e20230006. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2023.006. PMID: 38755116.
- Singh, V., Arora, S., Akram, W., Alam, S., Kumari, L., Kumar, N., Kumar, B., Kumar, S., Agrawal, M., Singhal, M., Kumar, S., Singh, S., Singh, K., Saha, S., & Dwivedi, V. (2024). Involvement of molecular mechanism and biological activities of Pemirolast: A therapeutic review. New Emirates Medical Journal, 5, Article e02506882308410. https://doi.org/10.2174/0102506882308410240607053814
- Rajput DS, Gupta N, Singh S, Sharma B. A Comprehensive Review: Personalized Medicine for Rare Disease Cancer Treatment. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2023 Dec 23;39:e20230008. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2023.008. PMID: 38830754.
- Singh S, Chaurasia A, Rajput DS, Gupta N. Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery System and There Future Prospective: Are a Promising Approach for Effective Treatment? Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2023 Dec 20;39:e20230005. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2023.005. PMID: 38751344.
- Kumar, S., Saha, S., Sharma, B., Singh, S., Shukla, P., Mukherjee, S., Agrawal, M., Singh, K., & Singh, T. (2023). The role of resveratrol in Alzheimer’s disease: A comprehensive review of current research. Current Functional Foods, 2(2), Article e121223224364, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.2174/0126668629269244231127071411
- Patel S, Ismail Y, Singh S, Rathi S, Shakya S, Patil SS, Bumrela S, Jain PC, Goswami P, Singh S. Recent Innovations and Future Perspectives in Transferosomes for Transdermal Drug Delivery in Therapeutic and Pharmacological Applications. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2024 Oct 24;40:e20240031. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2024.031. PMID: 39442957.
- Vaghela MC, Rathi S, Shirole RL, Verma J, Shaheen, Panigrahi S, Singh S. Leveraging AI and Machine Learning in Six-Sigma Documentation for Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2024 Jul 18;40:e20240005. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2024.005. PMID: 39019923.
- Patel S, Ismail Y, Singh S, Rathi S, Shakya S, Patil SS, Bumrela S, Jain PC, Goswami P, Singh S. Recent Innovations and Future Perspectives in Transferosomes for Transdermal Drug Delivery in Therapeutic and Pharmacological Applications. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2024 Oct 24;40:e20240031. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2024.031. PMID: 39442957.
- Kumar, S., Saha, S., Pathak, D., Singh, T., Kumar, A., Singh, K., Mishra, A. K., Singh, S., & Singh, S. (2024). Cholesterol absorption inhibition by some nutraceuticals. Recent Advances in Food, Nutrition & Agriculture, 16(1), 2–11. https://doi.org/10.2174/012772574X285280240220065812
- Singh, S., Chaurasia, A., Rajput, D. S., & Gupta, N. (2024). An overview on mucoadhesive buccal drug delivery systems & approaches: A comprehensive review. African Journal of Biological Sciences (South Africa), 6(5), 522–541, DOI: 10.33472/AFJBS.6.5.2024.522-541
- Kumar, S., Singh, S., Rajput, D., Sharma, B., Chaturvedi, K., Singh, N., Saha, S., Singh, K., & Mukherjee, S. (2024). Pharmacological approaches and herbal interventions for Alzheimer’s disease. The Natural Products Journal, 14(8), Article e220124225945. https://doi.org/10.2174/0122103155275266231123090138
- Ravikkumar VR, Patel BD, Rathi S, Parthiban S, Upadhye MC, Shah AM, Rehan SSA, Samanta S, Singh S. Formulation and Evaluation of Drumstick Leaves Tablet as An Immunomodulator. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2024 Jun 21;40:e20240004. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2024.004. PMID: 38902996.
- Sharma, A., Bara, G., Keshamma, E., Sharma, B., Singh, S., Singh, S. P., Parashar, T., Rathore, H. S., Sarma, S. K., & Rawat, S. (2023). Cancer biology and therapeutics: A contemporary review. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, 14(10), 1229-1247.
- Dewangan, H. K., Singh, S., Mishra, R., & Dubey, R. K. (2020). A review on application of nanoadjuvant as delivery system. International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics, 12(4), 24–33. https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2020v12i4.36856
- Singh S, Chaurasia A, Gupta N, Rajput DS. Effect of Formulation Parameters on Enalapril Maleate Mucoadhesive Buccal Tablet Using Quality by Design (QbD) Approach. Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi. 2024 Jun 27;40:e20240003. doi: 10.62958/j.cjap.2024.003. PMID: 38925868.
- Patel SK, Prathyusha S, Kasturi M, Godse KC, Singh R, Rathi S, Bumrela S, Singh S, Goswami P. Optimizing Irbesartan Fast Dissolving Tablets Using Natural Polysaccharides for Enhanced Drug Delivery and Patient Compliance. Int Res J Multidiscip Scope (IRJMS). 2025;6(1):1181-1190. https://doi.org/10.47857/irjms.2025.v06i01.02542
- Ahmed A, van den Heever L. Implementing real-time release testing: challenges and opportunities. Pharm Dev Technol. 2020;25(8):1005–13.
- Desai D, Sandhu H, Basu P. Quality considerations in 3D printing of pharmaceuticals. AAPS J. 2021;23(1):17.
- Gupta S, Agarwal D. Predictive analytics for pharmaceutical quality control. J Pharm Innov. 2021;16(3):451–65.
- Sacher D, Paul L. Near-infrared spectroscopy for pharmaceutical quality control: advantages and limitations. J Near Infrared Spectrosc. 2021;29(4):234–48.
- Patel M, Desai N, Patel K. Challenges in global harmonization of pharmaceutical quality standards. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2020;113:104602.
- Poudel RS, Pradhananga R, Mishra R. Advances in electronic quality management systems (eQMS) in the pharmaceutical industry. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2021;47(3):412–27.
- Kuo CK, Poon C. AI-driven inspection and quality monitoring in pharmaceutical manufacturing. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2020;189:113514.

Research and Reviews: A Journal of Pharmaceutical Science
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 02 |
| Received | 11/04/2025 |
| Accepted | 16/04/2025 |
| Published | 02/07/2025 |
| Publication Time | 82 Days |
Login
PlumX Metrics
