Ops 571

Improving the Labware Cleaning Process

Christopher Socha

OPS/571

February 6, 2012

Clance Doelling

Improving the Labware Cleaning Process

Texas Road Pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy located in Central New Jersey. One of the daily processes they spend the most time on involves washing and cleaning labware. This is a time consuming process that ensures that there is no cross contamination of active drug or excipients from one prescription to the next when prepared using the same equipment. It also ensures that any contaminants in the city water supply do not enter into a finished prescription product. This process examination will analyze the steps preformed in cleaning labware and data will be collected over the next few weeks to determine what steps can be eliminated or fine-tuned to decrease the time spent on the overall process.

Compounding pharmacies must adhere to stringent regulations set forth by the United States Pharmacopeia in USP Chapter 795. This chapter gives guidance on facility cleanliness, record keeping, quality control, and the proper use of water in washing labware (USP <795>). Potable, or drinkable tap water is not to be used for the washing of labware, unless the labware is then rinsed with purified water. Purified water can be produced through distillation, reverse osmosis, or carbon filtration. This water is free of any elements, minerals, or contaminants that can interfere with pharmaceutical compounding. Texas Road Pharmacy uses distilled water because it is the least expensive type of water to purchase.

Figure 1 is a flowchart that shows the process for washing labware at the pharmacy. The lab is equipped with two sinks. One is the standard hand-washing sink that is supplied by city water. The second sink is a portable sink that is supplied by a five gallon distilled water tank that must be manually filled and emptied throughout the day. Although that may seem time consuming, it is actually less cumbersome than...