Practical considerations for the Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

A Pharmaceutical Quality Control Laboratory (PQCL) is one of the critical pillars in the quality assurance of medicines to ensure the availability of safe and efficacious medicines. It is thus of critical importance that the PQCL should be able to continue delivering its service to the greater public. With the reporting of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019 as the causative agent of COVID-19, a new health and safety threat was introduced into greater society and specifically the workplace. The aim of this manuscript is to provide practical guidance and easy access reference to information sources for PQCL managers in an attempt to ensure safer working environments for the analytical and administrative staff of PQCLs, and to support the continued availability of quality assured medicines world-wide during this pandemic.