Description
This guidance for industry provides the Agency’s current thinking on how to evaluate out-of- specification (OOS) test results. For purposes of this document, the term OOS results includes all test results that fall outside the specifications or acceptance criteria established in drug applications, drug master files (DMFs), official compendia, or by the manufacturer. The term also applies to all in-process laboratory tests that are outside of established specifications.
Scope & Applicability
Product Classes
2Primary subject of the GMP guidance; GMP for APIs used in veterinary medicinal products; Subject of the GMP guidance; Good Manufacturing Practice for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Used in Veterinary Medicinal Products.
guidance applies to testing of finished drug products
Stakeholders
4determines frequency and acceptance criteria of system suitability evaluations; person who modifies instrument conditions during robustness testing
Quality Unit responsible for concluding if OOS results reflect true quality
Responsibilities of the laboratory supervisor in OOS investigation; Responsible for objective assessment of OOS results
Oversees reprocess or rework of batches
Regulatory Context
Attributes
1Determined by the sponsor for the investigational product.; investigational product(s) are stable over the period of use and only used within the current shelf life
Identified Hazards
Hazards
1Potential cause of OOS results to be investigated
Related CFR Sections (9)
- 21CFR211.137§ 211.137 Expiration dating.
(a) To assure that a drug product meets applicable standards of identity, strength, quality, and purity at the time of use, it shall bear an expiration date determined by appropriate stability testing described in § 211.166 .Read full regulation →
- 21CFR314.81§ 314.81 Other postmarketing reports.
(a) Applicability. Each applicant shall make the reports for each of its approved applications and abbreviated applications required under this section and section 505(k) of the act.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.101§ 211.101 Charge-in of components.
Written production and control procedures shall include the following, which are designed to assure that the drug products produced have the identity, strength, quality, and purity they purport or are represented to possess:Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.165§ 211.165 Testing and release for distribution.
(a) For each batch of drug product, there shall be appropriate laboratory determination of satisfactory conformance to final specifications for the drug product, including the identity and strength of each active ingredient, prior to release. Where sterility and/or pyrogen testing are conducted on sRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.22§ 211.22 Responsibilities of quality control unit.
(a) There shall be a quality control unit that shall have the responsibility and authority to approve or reject all components, drug product containers, closures, in-process materials, packaging material, labeling, and drug products, and the authority to review production records to assure that no eRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.160§ 211.160 General requirements.
(a) The establishment of any specifications, standards, sampling plans, test procedures, or other laboratory control mechanisms required by this subpart, including any change in such specifications, standards, sampling plans, test procedures, or other laboratory control mechanisms, shall be drafted Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.194§ 211.194 Laboratory records.
(a) Laboratory records shall include complete data derived from all tests necessary to assure compliance with established specifications and standards, including examinations and assays, as follows:Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.192§ 211.192 Production record review.
All drug product production and control records, including those for packaging and labeling, shall be reviewed and approved by the quality control unit to determine compliance with all established, approved written procedures before a batch is released or distributed. Any unexplained discrepancy (inRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.180§ 211.180 General requirements.
(a) Any production, control, or distribution record that is required to be maintained in compliance with this part and is specifically associated with a batch of a drug product shall be retained for at least 1 year after the expiration date of the batch or, in the case of certain OTC drug products lRead full regulation →
Related Warning Letters (10)
- 2025-12-23
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
SV Labs Corporation
- 2025-12-23
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
Guangdong Renhe Guozhuang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
- 2025-12-23
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
Medinatura New Mexico, Inc.
- 2025-12-16
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
Sklar Personal Care Inc.
- 2025-12-16
CGMP/Deviations/Biologics License Application (BLA)
Microvascular Tissue, Inc.
- 2025-12-11
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
Catalent Indiana, LLC
- 2025-12-09
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
DeVere Manufacturing Inc.
- 2025-12-09
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
CDL Services, Inc. DBA Technichem
- 2025-12-09
CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated
Seaway Pharma Inc.
- 2025-12-02
Compounding Pharmacy/Adulterated Drug Products
PQ Pharmacy, LLC
See Also (8)
- CPG Sec. 480.100 Requirements for Expiration Dating and Stability Testing (Status: Final)
- CPG Sec. 480.300 Lack of Expiration Date of Stability Data (Status: Final)
- Expiration Dating and Stability Testing of Solid Oral Dosage Form Drugs Containing Iron: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- CVM GFI #73 (VICH GL3(R)) Stability Testing of New Veterinary Drug Substances and Medicinal Products (Status: Final)
- CVM GFI #5 Drug Stability Guidelines (Status: Final)
- BLA for Minimally Manipulated, Unrelated Allogeneic Placental/Umbilical Cord Blood Intended for Hematopoietic and Immunologic Reconstitution in Patients with Disorders Affecting the Hematopoietic System: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Current Good Manufacturing Practice Requirements for Combination Products: Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff (Status: Final)
- Current Good Manufacturing Practice—Guidance for Human Drug Compounding Outsourcing Facilities Under Section 503B of the FD&C Act Guidance for Industry: Draft Guidance for Industry (Status: Draft)