41 Pharmaceutical Quality Control Interview Questions & Answers

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1. What is Quality Control :

The term quality control refers to the sum of all procedures undertaken to ensure
the identity and purity of a particular pharmaceutical product. It involves in
chemical, physical and some time microbiological testing of a pharmaceutical
product.

Quality control involves testing of pharmaceutical products against the

specifications.

The other responsibilities of Quality Control are sampling of Raw & packing
material, Testing of raw material, packing material, In process, Finished product&
Stability batches, Sampling & testing of water, Calibration of Instruments,
Preparation of Specification of Raw, Packing, In process & Finished products,
Preparation of Standard Test procedure of Raw, Packing, In process & Finished
products and reporting of result after analysis & preparation of COA.

2. What is Disintegration Test :

It is the time required for the Tablet / Capsule to break into particles, the
disintegration test is a measure of the time required under a given set of conditions
(Temperature) for a group of tablets/capsules to disintegrate into particles.
Cycle of shaft holding the tube basket limit is 29-32 cycles per minutes and
distance covered by shaft basket is 50-60 mm and beaker temperature is 35 to 39 º
C.

Disintegration is to be Performed to determine whether tablets or capsules

disintegrate within the prescribed time when placed in a liquid medium at the
experimental conditions.

3. What are the Disintegration Time of tablets :

Uncoated Tablet 15 min as per BP

Uncoated Tablet 30 min as per USP
Sugar Coated Tablet 60 min as per BP
Film Coated Tablet 30 min as per BP
Plain Coated Tablets DT in specific medium for 30 min as per USP
Enteric Coated Tablets DT in simulated gastric fluid (0.1 M HCl) for 1 hr and then
in simulated intestinal fluid (Phosphate buffer 6.8 pH) until disintegrate as per
USP.
Dispersible Tablets 3 min ( 15- 25º C ) as per BP.
Effervescent Tablets 1 tablet in 200 mL water for 5 min ( 15- 25º C )
as per BP
Buccal Tablets 4 hrs as per USP.
Soluble Tablets 3 min ( 15- 25º C ) as per BP.
Chewable Tablets are not require to comply with test
4. What are the Disintegration Time of capsules:

Gastro resistant capsule DT 2 hrs without disk in 0.1 M HCl and phosphate buffer
pH 6.8 for further 60 min as per BP.
Hard and Soft gelatin capsule DT 30 min as per BP & USP.
5. What is Friability Test of Tablet & friability calculation :

Friability is defined as the percentage of weight loss of powder from the surface of
the tablets due to mechanical action and the test is performed to measure the
weight loss during transportation.

Friability (%) =W1– W2/W1X100

Where,
W1 = Weight of Tablets (Initial / Before Tumbling) &
W2 = Weight of Tablets (After Tumbling or friability)

Limit : Friability (%) = Not More Than 1.0 %

Tablets with individual weight equal to or less than 650 mg then take the sample of
whole corresponding to as near as 6.5 gram equivalent and tablets with individual
weight more than 650 mg then take sample of 10 whole tablets to perform friability
test. Tablets must be de-dusted prior to and after use.

6. What is Incident :

Any unplanned or uncontrolled event in the form of non-compliance to the

designed systems or procedures at any stage of testing, and storage of drug product
due to system failure or equipment breakdown or manual error.

A laboratory Incident is an event in the laboratory that occurs for two primary
reasons either due to analyst error or instrument error.
7. What is Calibration:

The demonstration that a particular instrument or device produces results within

specified limits by comparison with those produced by a traceable standard over
an appropriate range of measurements.

8. What is Qualification :

The action of proving that any equipment or process work correctly and
consistently and produces the expected result. Qualification is part of, but not
limited to a validation process, i.e. Installation Qualification (IQ), Operation
Qualification(OQ) and Performance Qualification (PQ).

The act of planning, carrying out and recording the results of tests on equipment to
confirm its capabilities and to demonstrate that it will perform consistently as
intended use and against predefined specification.

9. What is Deviation:

Any unwanted event that represents a departure from approved processes or

procedures or instruction or specification or established standard or from what is
required. Deviations can occur during manufacturing, packing, sampling and
testing of drug products.

Examples of Deviations: Temperature and RH of area goes out of limit during

manufacturing, Typographical error observed in approved documents, Standard
operating procedure not followed, Breakdown of equipment, Spillage of material
during unloading, Instrument calibration results goes out of limit etc. Deviations
are of three types Minor, Major and Critical
10. What is Change Control :

It is a Approved Procedure which is taken to change in any documents, Standard

operating procedures, Specification, Process parameters and change in batch size
etc. Change control is raised by user department as per requirement and finally the
change control is approved by Quality assurance. Change control can be raised
through software or through manually.

After Final approval of change control the changes can be made in documents and
change control can be closed after completion of required action plan which is
mentioned in the Change control form.

Change controls are of two types i.e Major and Minor.

11. Corrective action & Preventive action :

Corrective action :

An action taken to eliminate the cause of the existing deviation, incident or

problem in order to prevent its recurrence (occurring again).

Preventive action:

An action taken to eliminate the cause of potential deviation, incident or problem

in order to prevent its occurrence (an incident or event).

12. What is Chromatography :

Chromatography is an analytical technique commonly used for separating a
mixture of chemical substances into its individual components, so that the
individual components can be thoroughly analyzed.

Chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture. The

mixture is dissolved in a fluid called the mobile phase, which carries it through a
structure holding another material called the stationary phase and the separation is
based on differential partitioning between the mobile and stationary phases.

13. What is difference between Stationary Phase Mobile Phase:

The key difference between stationary and mobile phase is that stationary phase
does not move with the sample whereas mobile phase moves with the sample.
Stationary phase and mobile phase are two important terms in chromatography,
which is a technique of separation and identification of the components in a
mixture.

14. What is Column in Chromatography:

A Chromatography column is a device used in chromatography for the separation

of chemical compounds. A chromatography column contains the stationary phase,
allowing the mobile phase to pass through it. The columns are mostly made of
borosilicate glass, acrylic glass or stainless steel.

15. Which gas is used in Gas Chromatography :

In GC Nitrogen, Helium and Hydrogen are considered to be suitable carrier gases

but Helium is most widely used due to safety concerns associated with hydrogen
and also the fact that nitrogen is much less efficient.
16. What is HPLC in Chemistry :

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a technique in analytical

chemistry which is used to separate, identify, and evaluate each component in a
mixture.

17. What is System suitability:

Before start of analysis of the Chromatographic system like HPLC &GC system
suitability has to perform to know that the system is working properly or to know
the performance.

System suitability criteria may include such factors as plate count, tailing,
retention, and/or resolution and the above factors are most important as they
indicate system specificity, precision, and column stability.

18. What is RT & RRT in HPLC :

The amount of time it takes for the compound to pass through the column is the
retention time (RT). The relative retention time (RRT) is the comparison of the RT
of one compound to another.

19. Types of HPLC Pumps :

There are 3 main types of HPLC Pumps : Reciprocating pump, Displacement (or
syringe) pump and Pneumatic (or constant pressure) pump.
20. What is Trailing factors :

The tailing factor is a measure of peak tailing. It is defined as the distance from the
front slope of the peak to the back slope divided by twice the distance from the
center line of the peak to the front slope, with all measurements made at 5% of the
maximum peak height.

21. What are the different Types of HPLC Columns :

The different Types of HPLC Columns are Normal phase, Reverse Phase, Ion
Exchange and Size Exclusion columns.

22. What is Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) :

Good Laboratory Practice contains a set of principles that provides a framework

within which laboratory studies (Activities) are planned, performed, monitored,
recorded, reported and archived. GLP help assure regulatory authorities that the
data submitted are a true reflection of the results obtained during the study and can
therefore be confidence upon when marking risk/safety assessment.

Good Laboratory Practice contains different principles which are designed to

ensure and promote consistency, quality, safety, reliability and integrity of
chemicals during non-clinical and laboratory testing.

23. What is Working & Reference Standard :

A reference standard is the traceable, raw material standard (usually in crystallized

form) that we dissolve and volumetrically dilute to make our working standard.
The working standard is what we use to “do our work.” and this information makes
it traceable and is recorded in the preparation notebook.
A reference standard is prepared for use as the standard in an assay, identification,
or purity test and should have a quality appropriate for its use.

24. Why is Dissolution test Required :

Dissolution tests are performed to establish drug (Active Pharmaceutical

Ingredient) release characteristics of solid oral products, such as tablets and
capsules. The rationale for conducting these tests is that for a product to be
therapeutically effective, the drug must be released from the product and should
generally be dissolved in the fluid of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The API in
solution form facilitates the absorption of the drug from the GI tract into the
systemic (blood) circulation to reach its desired target (site of action) to exert its
effect.

25. How dissolution test is Performed :

The drug is placed within the medium in the vessels after it has reached sufficient
temperature and then the dissolution apparatus is operated. Sample solutions
collected from dissolution testing are commonly analyzed by HPLC or Ultraviolet–
visible spectroscopy.

26. What is Q Stands for in Dissolution :

‘Q’ is the amount of dissolved active ingredient specified in the monograph which
is required to be released in the stated time, expressed as a percentage of labelled
strength, then the batch of the tablet or capsules is acceptable, if each unit is not
less than Q + 5 %.
If the initial sample analysis, known as S1 or stage 1 testing fails to meet the
acceptable value for Q, then additional testing known as stage 2 and 3 testing is
required. S3 testing is performed only if S2 testing fails in Q parameter. If there is
a deviation from the acceptable Q values at S3, then an OOS (Out of Specification)
investigation is generally initiated.

27. Which tablets are used in Calibration of dissolution Apparatus :

Non disintegrating (Salicylic Acid) and disintegrating (Prednisone) tablets are used
in the calibration of dissolution test apparatus.

28. What is Gas Chromatography :

Gas Chromatography is a common type of chromatography which is used for

separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition.
Particular uses of GC include testing the purity of a particular substance, or
separating the different components of a mixture and in some situations, GC may
help in identifying a compound.

In gas chromatography, the mobile phase is a carrier gas, usually an inert gas such
as helium or an un reactive gas such as nitrogen.

29. What is Karl Fischer Titration:

Karl Fischer titration is a classic titration method in chemical analysis that uses
coulometric or volumetric titration to determine trace amounts of water in a
sample. It was invented in 1935 by the German chemist Karl Fischer.
30. What is KF Reaction : The Karl Fischer Titration is a titration method for
measuring water content in basically all types of substances. The Karl Fischer
Titration is based on an iodine / iodid reaction and the the water reacts with iodine.

The endpoint of the titration is reached when all the water is consumed and the
process uses an organic base (B), sulphur dioxide, iodine and an alcohol.

31. What is Infrared Spectroscopy :

The infrared spectrum of a sample is recorded by passing a beam of infrared light

through the sample and when the frequency of the IR is the same as the vibrational
frequency of a bond or collection of bonds, absorption occurs. Examination of the
transmitted light reveals how much energy was absorbed at each frequency (or
wavelength). This measurement can be achieved by scanning the wavelength range
using a monochromator.

32. What is the use of Incubator :

An incubator is a device used to grow and maintain microbiological cultures or cell

cultures. The incubator maintains optimal temperature, humidity and other
conditions such as the CO2 and oxygen content of the atmosphere inside.
Incubators are essential for a lot of experimental work in cell biology,
microbiology and molecular biology and are used to culture bacterial cells.

33. What is Out of Specification :

Out of Specification (OOS) means the test result that falls outside the
specifications or acceptance criteria which has been specified in the official
monographs or the Blend, In process, Raw material, Packing material, Stability and
finished product specification.
During analysis if any OOS observed then it should be investigated to find out the
root cause and required Corrective & preventive actions shall be taken to avoid the
reoccurrence.

There are two phases of Investigation Laboratory investigation and production

process investigation.

34. What is Out of Trend :

Out of Trend (OOT) means the test result that is within the specification limit or
acceptance criteria as mentioned in the Blend, In process, Raw material, Packing
material, Stability and finished product specification but outside the trend of
previously tested batches.

Suppose X Product has the Specification limit 95 to 105 % & we have tested many
batches of product X and the trend result shows is 98 to 102 %. Suppose X Product
current result is 97.5 % so in this case it is called OOT.

35. What is Stability Study :

Stability of a pharmaceutical product means how long it can maintain its original
form for the duration of the shelf life assigned to it and should comply the
specification without any visible changes under the influence various
environmental factors like temperature and humidity.

The pharmaceutical industry conducts this testing to develop a new product and
establish the shelf-life of a product.
36. What is Bracketing in Stability Testing :

The design in which only the extremes are tested at all time points e.g., strength,
pack size, container fill etc. are tested.

Bracketing is applicable if the strength are identical or very closely related in

composition (e.g. for a tablet range made with the different compression weights of
similar basic granulation, or a capsule range made by filling different plug fill
weight of the same basic composition in to different size capsule shells. Bracketing
can be applied to different container sizes or different fills in the same container
closure system).

37. What is Shelf Life :

The period of time during which a drug product, if stored correctly, is expected to
comply with the specifications determined by stability studies on a number of
batches of the product. The shelf life is used to establish the expiry date of each
batch.

38. In stability how many conditions are there :

There are Three stability Condition Long term or Controlled Room Temperature
(CRT), Accelerated and Intermediate

39. What is Significant changes in Stability Study :

At long term and intermediate condition : Failure to meet the specification is

considered as significant change.
At accelerated condition : Following changes are considered as “Significant
change”.

A 5% change in assay from its initial value, any degradation product exceeding its
acceptance criterion. Failure to meet the acceptance criteria for appearance,
physical attributes. Failure to meet the acceptance criteria for dissolution.

40. What is limit of detection (LOD) :

The detection limit of an individual analytical procedure is the lowest amount of

analyte in a sample which can be detected but not necessarily quantitated as an
exact value. Several approaches for determining the detection limit are possible.

Based on visual evaluation the detection limit is determined by the analysis of

samples with known concentrations of analyte and by establishing the minimum
level at which the analyte can be reliably detected.

41. What is limit of Quantification (LOQ) :

The quantification limit of an individual analytical procedure is the lowest amount

of analyte in a sample which can be quantitatively determined with suitable
precision and accuracy. The quantification limit is a parameter of quantitative
assays for low levels of compounds in sample matrices, and is used particularly for
the determination of impurities and/or degradation products.

Based on visual evaluation: The detection limit is determined by the analysis of

samples with known concentrations of analyte and by establishing the minimum
level at which the analyte can be quantified with acceptable accuracy and
precision.