Sometimes it’s best to take a step back, and explain basic concepts of the bigger picture – to take a look at the forest instead of just the trees. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are complicated systems that assure customer safety. Despite being complicated, you can break them down to a simplified concept of what they are, why they exist, and what it looks like for an operator or technician executing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

What is GMP?

GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. It is also commonly referred to as cGMP, meaning that it is the “current Good Manufacturing Practice” that meets GMP requirements as they are currently regulated. They are the set of regulations that describe all of the operations required to call a drug product, a GMP certified product. Any drug you buy at the pharmacy is produced under GMP conditions.

Why are there GMP regulations?

GMP’s are a way to ensure the public’s safety for manufactured drugs, in order to prevent public health crises. It helps prevent the distribution of adulterated drugs, due to poor manufacturing practices, from reaching consumers that whose health could potentially be harmed.

For example, there was a time before GMPs, where a manufacture could substitute whatever they wanted into their “miracle elixers” that were good for soothing all aches and pains. There was no basis for their efficacy, and the ingredients were completely unregulated. This all changed around 1906 when Upton Sinclair wrote “The Jungle,” where he described the filthy and unsanitary conditions of meat packing plants in Chicago. This completely changed how people thought about how things are manufactured.

What does it mean to operate under Good Manufacturing Practices?

Things have changed since the early 1900’s, and we now have processes in place to make sure that no drug or food substance goes out the door of a factory without having close control over the process. There are many concepts packed into an SOP, and many systems that all work together to make the process work.

So, “from the ground up,” here’s what is looks like when a technician or operator works through a GMP process using their SOP’s. Imagine a technician producing and extract using a Supercritical CO2 process or a Cannabis chef producing an edible with a purified extract.

  1. Obtain the proper and current Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) before starting the job. The SOP will guide the technician through the procedure step-by-step, greatly reducing the chance of operator error.
  2. Thoroughly read through the SOP before starting to make sure that nothing has changed for the procedure, and that the right procedure is being used for the right starting materials.
  3. Follow the instructions exactly, and do not change them or deviate from them.
  4. Work accurately and precisely, paying close attention to the details of each step.
  5. Prevent any contamination or mix-up of materials. Do not have two separate batches of raw materials of in-process materials in the same are without being labeled.
  6. Make sure that no products are mislabeled.
  7. Use equipment that’s been cleaned, calibrated, and is the right tool for the job. All equipment should be well maintained and ready to use. If something is not working, it should be labeled “out of service” until it’s ready for use.
  8. Document your work as it is being done, with initials and dates on the SOP for each step.
  9. Keep your workspace clutter free and clean.
  10. Any documented work may not be destroyed – it can be corrected, but never discard it.
  11. If anything does not go according to the SOP, it must be reported to direct supervisors and the deviation must be documented and analyzed for any risks posed to the end user.

These are the most general guidelines for what GMP looks like in practice. While GMPs are a new concept to the recreational and medical cannabis industry, they’re not new to the pharmaceutical industry. It will take time for the industry to catch up, but it’s not hard to do once a company commits to a culture of quality management systems and cGMPs.

If you have more questions, check out www.oriongmp.com and get a free consultation on putting together your Cannabis related Good Manufacturing Practices and Quality Manufacturing Systems.