Purpose and Operations
The main purpose of this programme is to ensure public access to health products that comply with the quality standards through inspections. The focus of this programme is on assessment of site compliance, with current good regulatory and vigilance practices, in the areas of:
Inspections are conducted at active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and finished product (FP) manufacturers, wholesalers, laboratories and clinical trial sites, located both locally and internationally.
Relevant Legislation
The Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act No. 101 of 1965) as amended The Medicines and Related Substances Act, 1965 (Act No. 101 of 1965) was amended by the Amendment Act, 2008 (Act No.72 of 2008) and Amendment Act, 2015 (Act No. 14 of 2015), and enacted in May 2017. In terms of the Medicines Act, the objects of the Authority are to provide for the monitoring, evaluation, regulation, investigation, inspection, registration and control of medicines, scheduled substances, medical devices, radiation control, clinical trials and related matters in the public interest, in the following ways:
Reliance and mutual recognition
The Inspectorate’s operations are aided and assisted by the principles of reliance on and cooperation with other organizations, such as X link PIC/S, WHO, and collaboration with X link Zazibona, by mutual recognition of work performed.
1. PIC/S (Pharmaceutical inspection co-operation scheme)
X link PIC / PIC/S (Refer www.picscheme.org)
PIC/S Press Release 2017,2018 – x link
PIC (Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention) & PIC/S operate in parallel – jointly referred to as “PIC/S”. South Africa became a member of PIC/S on 1 July 2007 and became the 31 st member of PIC/S and the first member from Africa. PIC/S supports work sharing in the process of reliance on inspections conducted by other countries in the PICS group. The PIC/S’ mission is to lead the international development, implementation and maintenance of harmonised Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and quality systems of inspectorates in the field of medicinal products. This mission is achieved by facilitating co-operation and networking for competent authorities and international organisations, through:
2. World Health Organization (WHO)
X link World Health Organization(WHO) (Refer: www.who.int)
The primary role of the WHO’s is to direct international health within the United Nations’ system and to lead partners in global health responses. This role is evident in the different regulatory strengthening projects and programmes driven by the WHO, also in Africa, such as the SADC Medicines Regulatory Harmonization Project.
3. Zazibona
x Link Zazibona (Refer: www.mcaz.co.zw)
Zazibona is a collaborative initiative involving 14 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. Some of the actively participating countries include Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. They participate in joint dossier assessment (for registration purposes), training programmes and information sharing so that products can be approved and registered via a collaborative procedure. There is mutual agreement amongst countries. Applicants give consent for sharing information concerning products to be assessed.
When a product has been approved by Zazibona, the individual countries, for instance South Africa, can use this decision on country level to determine the GMP compliance status of the relevant company and subsequently, to register/ not register such a product in the country. Applicants (new dossier registrations) who want to participate in the Zazibona review process should have applied for registration of a medicine in at least two of the participating countries.
The applicant should submit an expression of interest to any of the countries to which the application has been made, to be included in the Zazibona review process.
4. Benchmarking of Good Practices
(Refer: Global Competency Framework For Regulators Draft Version 1.2 4 (November 2018))
In support of regulatory system strengthening and capacity building at National Regularity Authorities (NRA), the WHO has initiated a project to establish a global competency framework for regulators. In short, this program is described as follows: “WHO is working with partners to develop a global competency framework and global curricula to support training and professional development of regulatory staff”.
South Africa is part of the pilot implementation of the Global Competency Framework, through various SADC validation workshops for self-assessment of assessors and regulators.
Other Guidelines
How to respond to an GMP, GWP or GCP inspection report
Site Master File
Radiopharmaceutical manufacture
Cephalosporin manufacture
Penicillin manufacture
Aerosol Manufacturing
Purpose and Operations
The Regulatory Compliance unit of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is responsible for the enforcing and monitoring compliance of all health products, personnel and the facilities under which those products are handled with the provisions of the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965 (Medicines Act) and other Health Acts. The scope includes verifying that human and veterinary medicines and medicines and medical devices and their facilities comply with registration and licensing requirements.
The unit responsibilities include
1. Monitoring and control of border posts for imports and exports of health products
2. Prevention and monitoring of unregistered health products, Counterfeit (Substandard and
Falsified medical products)
3. Monitor and eradicate emerging illegal retail outlet selling health products
4. Monitor and stop the illicit manufacturing facilities
5. Ensure that unregistered health products are removed from the public
6. Join and actively participate in relevant stakeholder forums including those combating
pharmaceutical crime networks
7. Responsible for all matters relating to Pharmaceutical crime
8. Public Awareness and education on medicines and other health related products
9. Post-marketing surveillance and are as follows:
10. Control of Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances
11. Cannabis for medicinal purpose and hemp research
12. Section 36 exclusions applications
13. Authorisation for possession of a medicine/s or health product/s in the Republic
Forms and guidelines
Forms
1. Application for medicinal cannabis
2. Application for narcotic/psychotropic import permit
3. Import and Export May 03
4. Application for narcotic/psychotropic export permit
5. Import and Export May 03
6. Application for possession/research or analytical purpose
Guidelines
1. Application for medicinal cannabis
2. Guidelines for importation and exportation of medicines
2.1 Port of entry Guide for imports
3. Guideline for destruction of Schedule 5, 6 and upwards
4. Product recalls
5. Returns
Contact details:
The following telephone numbers can be used to contact the Regulatory Compliance, Inspectorate, and Licensing units
Tel: 012 501 0359
Cell: 076 422 4934
jerry.molokwane@sahpra.org.za
Dedicated Email Address for Licence Application for Pharmaceutical/GMP/Medicine ONLY; of Manufacturers, Importers, Exporters and Wholesalers. Any other application will be automatically deleted;
gmplicensing@sahpra.org.za
Tel: 012 015 5434
Cell: 066 301 1878
Mokgadi.fafudi@sahpra.org.za
Tel: 012 015 5478
Cell: 064 870 8702
Susan.khoza@sahpra.org.za