Description
This guidance is intended to assist manufacturers in assuring the control of microbiological quality of their non-sterile drugs (NSDs). The recommendations herein apply to solid non-sterile dosage forms, as well as semi-solid, and liquid non-sterile dosage forms (e.g., topically applied creams, lotions and swabs, and oral solutions and suspensions). NSDs can be prescription or nonprescription drugs, including those marketed under approved new drug applications (NDAs) or abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs), and nonprescription drugs without approved new drug applications which are governed by the provisions of section 505G of the FD&C Act (often referred to as over-the-counter (OTC) monograph drugs). These recommendations, if followed, will also assist manufacturers in complying with the current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements for finished pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Scope & Applicability
Product Classes
8Non-sterile finished dosage forms (NSDs); microbiological quality considerations in manufacturing; Subject of the guidance; Scope of microbiological quality considerations; bulk cream base used to compound topical drugs
Subject of the guidance regarding irritation and sensitization potential.; Subject of the guidance for ANDAs
topical antiseptic drug products used to reduce microorganisms on skin
typically have higher water activity and higher risk of microbial growth
candidates for reduced microbial testing based on water activity
Lower microbiological risk category
Nonprescription drug products marketed without product-specific premarket application
Intended for use by health care professionals; alcohol-based antiseptic product produced under poor manufacturing conditions
Stakeholders
2Responsible for ensuring the overall quality of the final drug product.
Non-traditional manufacturer producing devices designed by an OEM
Regulatory Context
Attributes
1Lack of change to water activity
Identified Hazards
Hazards
3Organisms with detrimental effect on products or harm to patients; Microbes that pose risk to patient or product
risk in products with high water activity
L. monocytogenes is known to form biofilms on food contact surfaces
Related CFR Sections (16)
- 21CFR211.28§ 211.28 Personnel responsibilities.
(a) Personnel engaged in the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding of a drug product shall wear clean clothing appropriate for the duties they perform. Protective apparel, such as head, face, hand, and arm coverings, shall be worn as necessary to protect drug products from contamination.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.25§ 211.25 Personnel qualifications.
(a) Each person engaged in the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding of a drug product shall have education, training, and experience, or any combination thereof, to enable that person to perform the assigned functions. Training shall be in the particular operations that the employee performsRead 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 →
- 21CFR211.165§ 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 →
- 21CFR211.113§ 211.113 Control of microbiological contamination.
(a) Appropriate written procedures, designed to prevent objectionable microorganisms in drug products not required to be sterile, shall be established and followed.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.110§ 211.110 Sampling and testing of in-process materials and drug products.
(a) To assure batch uniformity and integrity of drug products, written procedures shall be established and followed that describe the in-process controls, and tests, or examinations to be conducted on appropriate samples of in-process materials of each batch. Such control procedures shall be establiRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.84§ 211.84 Testing and approval or rejection of components, drug product containers, and closures.
(a) Each lot of components, drug product containers, and closures shall be withheld from use until the lot has been sampled, tested, or examined, as appropriate, and released for use by the quality control unit.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR314.50§ 314.50 Content and format of an NDA.
NDAs and supplements to approved NDAs are required to be submitted in the form and contain the information, as appropriate for the particular submission, required under this section. Three copies of the NDA are required: An archival copy, a review copy, and a field copy. An NDA for a new chemical enRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.94§ 211.94 Drug product containers and closures.
(a) Drug product containers and closures shall not be reactive, additive, or absorptive so as to alter the safety, identity, strength, quality, or purity of the drug beyond the official or established requirements.Read 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 →
- 21CFR211.111§ 211.111 Time limitations on production.
When appropriate, time limits for the completion of each phase of production shall be established to assure the quality of the drug product. Deviation from established time limits may be acceptable if such deviation does not compromise the quality of the drug product. Such deviation shall be justifiRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.100§ 211.100 Written procedures; deviations.
(a) There shall be written procedures for production and process control designed to assure that the drug products have the identity, strength, quality, and purity they purport or are represented to possess. Such procedures shall include all requirements in this subpart. These written procedures, inRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.63§ 211.63 Equipment design, size, and location.
Equipment used in the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding of a drug product shall be of appropriate design, adequate size, and suitably located to facilitate operations for its intended use and for its cleaning and maintenance.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.67§ 211.67 Equipment cleaning and maintenance.
(a) Equipment and utensils shall be cleaned, maintained, and, as appropriate for the nature of the drug, sanitized and/or sterilized at appropriate intervals to prevent malfunctions or contamination that would alter the safety, identity, strength, quality, or purity of the drug product beyond the ofRead full regulation →
- 21CFR211.46§ 211.46 Ventilation, air filtration, air heating and cooling.
(a) Adequate ventilation shall be provided.Read full regulation →
- 21CFR211.56§ 211.56 Sanitation.
(a) Any building used in the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding of a drug product shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, Any such building shall be free of infestation by rodents, birds, insects, and other vermin (other than laboratory animals). Trash and organic waste mattRead 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)
- Manufacturing Considerations for Licensed and Investigational Cellular and Gene Therapy Products During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Sterile Drug Products Produced by Aseptic Processing — Current Good Manufacturing Practice: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Quality Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical Current Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations (Status: Final)
- Collection of Platelets by Automated Methods: Guidance for Industry and FDA Review Staff (Status: Final)
- Blood Establishment Computer System Validation in the User's Facility: Guidance for Industry (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)
- Residual Solvents in Drug Products Marketed in the United States: Guidance for Industry (Status: Final)
- Potency Tests for Cellular and Gene Therapy Products: Final Guidance for Industry: (Status: Final)