Pharmaceutical manufacturing of drugs: explanations

c. Types of medicines

There are two main types of medicines based on their pharmaceutical manufacturing principle :

• Chemical or “conventional” medicines: These traditional medicines are manufactured using industrial processes that utilize active substances of chemical origin. Chemical medicines emerged with the rise of chemistry in the 19th century, marked by the identification and isolation of therapeutic substances known as active ingredients, which are often derived from plants.
• Biological medicines: These drugs are produced using active substances derived from living organisms, such as living cells or tissues.

2. The manufacturing process of a medicine

The main steps in the pharmaceutical manufacturing of drugs are:

• Formulation: This involves developing the chemical composition of the medicine with its active ingredients and excipients.
• Production: Pharmaceutical manufacturers begin by producing pilot batches that validate the reliability of larger-scale production.
• Quality control: Compliance with quality and safety standards for each batch produced is verified through rigorous testing, including tests for purity, potency, dissolution, stability, and contamination).
• Primary packaging: After quality controls, the medicine is ready for packaging. Primary packaging protects the medicine from contamination, light, moisture, etc., and ensures its stability and effectiveness until use. Double-point glass ampoules are one type of primary pharmaceutical packaging.
• Labeling: After packaging, each container is labeled to provide all the necessary regulatory information (name, concentration, usage instructions, expiration date, batch number, etc.) required for the proper use of the medicine.
• Distribution: The process of distributing medicines to pharmacies, hospitals, and other health facilities must ensure optimal storage and transport conditions to maintain the quality and effectiveness of the medications.

To learn more about primary pharmaceutical packaging, discover our complete guide.