Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme

Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme
AbbreviationPIC/S
Formation26 May 1971 (1971-05-26)
TypeIntergovernmental organization
PurposePharmaceutical
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Coordinates46°12′18″N 6°09′30″E / 46.2050823°N 6.158363°E / 46.2050823; 6.158363
Area served
International
Membership52 Active state members
Websitewww.picscheme.org

The Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) are two international instruments between countries and pharmaceutical inspection authorities. The PIC/S is meant as an instrument to improve co-operation in the field of Good Manufacturing Practices between regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry.

History

The PIC (Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention) was founded in October 1970 by the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), under the title of the Convention for the Mutual Recognition of Inspections in Respect of the Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products.[1][2] The initial members comprised the 10 member countries of EFTA at that time. In the early 1990s it was realized that because of an incompatibility between the Convention and European law, it was not possible for new countries to be admitted as members of PIC. European law did not permit individual EU countries that were members of PIC to sign agreements with other countries seeking to join PIC. As a consequence the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme was formed on 2 November 1995. The Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme is an informal agreement between health authorities instead of a formal treaty between countries. PIC and the PIC Scheme, which operate together in parallel, are jointly referred to as PIC/S. PIC/S became operational in November 1995.[2]

Since its conception until 2003, PIC/S did not have a distinct legal identity. Its Secretariat was provided by the European Free Trade Association. Based on PIC/S meeting in June 2003, its committee decided to constitute itself as a Swiss Association in accordance with article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code which refer to other internationally active organizations established in Switzerland such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). On 1 January 2004, PIC/S established its own Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.[3]

Purpose

PIC/S has a number of provisions intended to establish the following:[4]

  • Mutual recognition of inspection between member countries, so that an inspection carried out by officials of one member country will be recognized as valid by other members.
  • Equivalent principles of inspection methodology, so that it is understood that inspectors in each member country will be following the same best practices when carrying out inspections.
  • Mechanisms for the training of inspectors.
  • Harmonization of written standards of Good Manufacturing Practices.
  • Lines of communication between member country inspectors/inspectorates.

Members

Map of the members of PIC/S

The following are the state members of PIC/S as of October 2021:[5]

CountryParticipating entityAccession to PIC Scheme
ArgentinaNational Institute of Drugs
Instituto Nacional de Medicamentos (INAME)
2008
AustraliaTherapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)1995
AustriaFederal Office for Safety in Health Care
Bundesamt für Sicherheit im Gesundheitswesen (BASG)
1999
BelgiumFederal Agency for Medicines and Health Products
Agence Fédérale des Médicaments et des Produits de Santé (AFMPS)
Federaal Agentschap voor Geneesmiddelen en Gezondheidsproducten (FAGG)
1997
BrazilNational Health Surveillance Agency
Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA)
2021
CanadaHealth Canada's Regulatory Operations and Enforcement Branch (ROEB)
Santé Canada Direction générale des opérations réglementaires et de l'application de la loi (DGORAL)
1999
Chinese TaipeiFood and Drug Administration (TFDA)2013
CroatiaAgency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices of Croatia
Agencija za lijekove i medicinske proizvode (HALMED)
2016
CyprusPharmaceutical Services (CyPHS)2008
Czech RepublicState Institute for Drug Control
Státní Ústav pro Kontrolu Léčiv (SÚKL)
Institute for State Control of Veterinary Biologicals and Medicines (ISCVBM)
1997
2005
DenmarkDanish Medicines Agency (DKMA)1995
EstoniaState Agency of Medicines (SAM)2007
FinlandFinnish Medicines Agency (FIMEA)1996
FranceFrench National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety
Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé (ANSM)
Agency for Food, Environmental & Occupational Health Safety
Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES)
1997
2009
GermanyCentral Authority of the Laender for Health Protection regarding Medicinal Products and Medical Devices
Zentralstelle der Länder für Gesundheitsschutz bei Arzneimitteln und Medizinprodukten (ZLG)
2000
GreeceGreek National Organisation for Medicines
Εθνικός Οργανισμός Φαρμάκων (EOF)
2002
Hong Kong SARPharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong (PPBHK)2016
HungaryNational Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYÉI)1995
IcelandIcelandic Medicines Agency (IMA)1995
IndonesiaNational Agency for Drug and Food Control (NADFC)
Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Republik Indonesia (BPOM)
2012
IranIran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA)2018
IrelandHealth Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA)1996
IsraelInstitute for Standardization and Control of Pharmaceuticals (ISCP)2009
ItalyItalian Medicines Agency
Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA)
Directorate General for Animal Health and Veterinary Medicinal Products
Direzione generale della sanità animale e dei farmaci veterinari (DGSAF)
2000
2020
JapanPharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)2014
LatviaState Agency of Medicines
Zāļu valsts aģentūra (ZVA)
2004
LiechtensteinOffice of Healthcare
Amt für Gesundheit (AG)
1995
LithuaniaState Medicines Control Agency (SMCA)2009
MalaysiaNational Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA)
Bahagian Regulatori Farmasi Negara
2002
MaltaMalta Medicines Authority (MMA)2008
MexicoFederal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk
Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS)
2018
NetherlandsHealth and Youth Care Inspectorate
Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd (IGJ)
1995
New ZealandMedicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe)2013
NorwayNorwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA)1995
PolandChief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate (CPI)2006
PortugalNational Authority of Medicines and Health Products, IP
Autoridade Nacional do Medicamento e Produtos de Saúde IP (INFARMED IP )
1999
RomaniaNational Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (NAMMD)1995
SingaporeHealth Sciences Authority (HSA)2000
SlovakiaState Institute for Drug Control (SIDC)1997
SloveniaAgency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices
Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za zdravila in medicinske pripomočke (JAZMP)
2012
South AfricaSouth African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA)2007
South KoreaMinistry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)2014
SpainSpanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices
Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS)
1998
SwedenSwedish Medical Products Agency (MPA)1996
 SwitzerlandSwiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic)1996
ThailandFood and Drug Administration (Thai FDA)2016
TurkeyTurkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TMMDA)2018
UkraineState Service for Medications and Drugs Control (SMDC)2011
United KingdomMedicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
1999
2014
United StatesU.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)2011

See also

References

  1. "History of PIC/S". picscheme.org. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 Brunner, Daniel (September 2004). "Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S)". The Quality Assurance Journal. 8 (3): 207–211. doi:10.1002/qaj.281.
  3. "Legal Form". picscheme.org. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  4. McCormick, Kate (2002). Quality (Pharmaceutical Engineering Series). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 158. ISBN 9780750651134.
  5. "Members". www.picscheme.org. Retrieved 2 October 2021.