Chemical products are used in a variety of sectors in the Life sciences industry. Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics sectors are a few among them. And the demand for Chemicals too has significantly increased for the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the infographic provided by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), explaining the contribution of chemicals to cleaning products and medical equipment, chemicals contribute:
- 75% - in cleaning compounds like disinfectants, hand sanitizers and detergents
- 27% - in medical equipment like disposable gowns, N95 face masks and diagnostic equipment
- 25% - in medical supplies like disposable gowns, goggles, tubing and surgical instruments.
This clearly shows the high demand for chemicals in the industry. With the increasing demand, there are best practices chemical manufacturers must follow both from the Regulatory and operational perspectives, such as:
Adherence to the Dynamic Regulations
One of the major challenges faced by chemical manufacturers is observance and adherence to the dynamic regulations and compliance enforcement during the current crisis. They need to navigate the complexities in the quality documentation across various procedures for end-to-end compliance.
Management of Manufacturing and Operational Data
Given the high demand and difficult operational scenarios, chemical manufacturers must sustain a high level of productivity. By efficiently managing both the manufacturing and operational data, chemical manufacturers can ensure success in responding to the needs and demands of various stakeholders in their value-chain.
Minimizing Formula Costs to Create New Efficiencies
The availability of raw materials to chemical companies is affected by factors such as seasonality, cost of purchase, maintenance constraints, etc. In such a scenario, chemical manufacturers must ensure that they procure the right materials with the required specifications to comply with the formulation standards.
Recalls and Quality Audits
Strict quality management and detailed product information is essential to comply with the Health Authority standards. Chemical manufacturers must capture data from operational processes accurately and be prepared if there are any product recalls. Also, they must integrate traceability data across the business with access to various stakeholders such as suppliers and customers during the quality audit process.
By following the above-mentioned practices, manufacturers can achieve the level of productivity that drives differentiation in innovation. Also, manufacturers often fall into traps while implementing cost-cutting measures that may adversely affect operational productivity. To avoid these pitfalls at the core and achieve compliance, the only way out is to consider reaching out to a Chemicals Regulatory expert. Stay informed. Stay Compliant.
