Compounding pharmacies are pharmacies that make prescriptions for patients with specific needs that commercial drugs can’t meet. It’s important to properly maintain compounding pharmacies so those patients can receive the medications they need without issue. But maintaining these important pharmacies is complex. There are several levels of regulations that must be complied with, and simply wiping down the pharmaceutical equipment every now and then won’t cut it.

Keeping your cleanroom free of contaminants will benefit your business in many ways, but ultimately it will keep you from losing money unnecessarily. If your cleanroom isn’t properly maintained, you’ll likely end up with a contaminated product, which has a negative ripple effect throughout your organization that ultimately ends at your bottom line.

Many groups have, unfortunately, been underrepresented and underutilized throughout our society’s history. Still, we are making great strides toward equality regarding race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and more. Among the efforts of this push toward broader acceptance is an increased focus on workplace diversity, which benefits the workplaces themselves and the companies they partner with. Many organizations are taking steps to ensure diversity while incentivizing other organizations to increase and promote diversity as well. Our culture is changing, and we’re seeing these under-supported groups receive the support and recognition they deserve as a result.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global network of 163 national standards bodies (one from each country represented by ISO). These 163 members and the experts that comprise them develop international standards and strategies based on consensus and relevance. Among these international standards is ISO 9001:2015, which governs quality management systems.

When it comes to maintaining a controlled environment, having the proper cleanroom supplies on hand is critical. You need to know what supplies you need, how many of them you need, how often they need to be replaced, etc. While each cleanroom classification is held to different standards, there are a few general guidelines and common supplies that can help you get started.

Not all cleanrooms are created equally. There are several different classifications for cleanrooms, and each comes with its own standards and regulations. The International Standards Organization (ISO) governs these classifications according to particulate cleanliness. In a nutshell, ISO cleanroom classifications let you know how many particles you’re allowed to have in the cleanroom.

Establishing and adhering to cleanroom protocol is important to keep the integrity of your cleanroom intact. Contaminants can be introduced from a variety of sources, but the most detrimental source of contamination comes from the humans that occupy your cleanroom. The greatest and most affordable resource for keeping those contaminants at bay is ensuring proper protocols are in place.

It is critically important to use the correct wipes when cleaning your cleanroom. If you are not using the correct cleanroom wipes (also commonly referred to as “wipers”) you are not cleaning your cleanroom properly. When you do not clean your cleanroom properly, you run several risks that can affect your business, products, and customers. In addition, using a wiper that is too clean for your needs can be a costly mistake.

When you’re working in a controlled environment, it’s important to only bring cleanroom-specific products into the area. This includes everything from cleaning supplies to production materials to management tools — even pens and clipboards need to meet cleanroom standards.

Cleanroom classifications are most commonly based on the number of particles of a certain size in a cubic meter of air. They can also be classified according to air cleanliness by chemical concentration and surface cleanliness by particle or chemical concentration.