Quality Assurance Practices at Pharmaca

Look to Pharmaca for products you can trust.

At Pharmaca, we believe that we have a responsibility to our customers to offer the highest quality products available. To ensure this quality, we ask our vendors to comply with Vendor Quality Assurance Guidelines:

• Pharmaca requires that all suppliers of dietary supplements and homeopathic medicines verify their quality assurance practices according to our Vendor Quality Assurance Practice Standards (VQAP).
• Verification can be done through an on-site audit done by Pharmaca staff, or proof that an independent third party cGMP program has audited the manufacturer in the last 12 months.
• Re-verification is necessary every three to five years, depending on VQAP compliance.
  
  Audits assess the following:
  • Identity for all raw materials via in-house or qualified laboratory testing
  • In-house, qualified laboratory or validated supplier Certificate of Analysis for:
    • identity, microbiological and heavy metal contaminants (NSF, USP or AHPA limits)
    • pesticides/herbicides (for applicable botanicals)
    • aflatoxins (when applicable)
    • melamine (when applicable)
    • potency (when applicable)
  • Use of most appropriate testing methodologies when testing for identity, microbiologicals, heavy metals, pesticides/herbicides (for botanicals), aflatoxins, melamine and residual solvents
  • All methodologies will be compendia methods and/or scientifically valid methods
  • Acceptable supplier and contract manufacturer qualification consisting of:
    • demonstrated cGMP compliance
    • on-site audit or established historical relationship
    • initial validation of certificate of analyses (CoA) for raw ingredients.
  • In addition to supplier CoA, identity is tested on each batch of raw materials or finished product and all other analytical tests [microbiology, heavy metals, pesticides/herbicides (non-organic), solvents (concentrates)] are completed on at least every fifth batch/lot or, if less than 5 lots, at least once annually. Potency-testing procedure for finished products in place and in use
  • Evident knowledge of industry-known common adulterants and contaminants, and sufficient testing to guarantee the absence of these adulterants and contaminants in finished products by conducting full confirmation testing
  • SOP demonstration of controlled manufacturing processes for all finished products
  • Specifications for all raw material and finished products and documented usage of these specifications
  • A stability program is in use to ensure that all finished products meet label claim throughout their shelf life
  • Products contain active ingredients in sufficient quantities to be clinically effective
  • Evidence of total quality (e.g. research and product development, product formulation, sustainable environmental practices, clinical trial support, good business practices)

Pharmaca also places a strong emphasis on professional-quality supplements from vendors who are known throughout the industry for their standards for purity, quality and efficacy. These manufacturers include: 

• Integrative Therapeutics, Inc.
• Metagenics
• Seroyal/Pharmax
• Pure Encapsulations
• Thorne Research
• Vital Nutrients