USP Guidelines for Compounding Facilities

The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a non-profit organization that develops standards for human and animal drugs as well as food ingredients and dietary supplements.

For pharmaceutical compounding facilities, USP has guidelines in four general chapters:

  1. USP <795> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Nonsterile Preparations
  2. USP <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Preparations
  3. USP <800> Hazardous Drugs – Handling in Healthcare Settings
  4. USP <825> Radiopharmaceuticals – Preparation, Compounding, Dispensing, and Repackaging

These four chapters provide guidelines for safety considerations, personnel qualification and training, facilities and engineering controls, microbiology and surface monitoring, cleaning and disinfection, and much more. Continue reading “USP Guidelines for Compounding Facilities”

Measuring Flow with Piston Displacement Meters

If you’re looking to purchase a new water meter, it can be hard to discern what type of meter you should pick. There are many things to consider, from the body material to the outputs to whether any approvals are required. One of the most important considerations for selecting a meter for your application is how the meter will be installed, as certain technologies can limit the meter’s installation orientation. For example, multi-jet meters measure flow by generating multiple jets of water against an impeller in an internal chamber. As the impeller rotates, the flow is totalized on the meter face. In order to meet the stated accuracy, multi-jet meters must be installed horizontally. If a multi-jet meter is installed vertically, the impeller will not rotate correctly and the readings will not meet the stated accuracy specification.  Continue reading “Measuring Flow with Piston Displacement Meters”

Proving Flow Through Chillers

Water chillers are nothing new, with nearly an estimated 100,000 units operating in North America alone. Chillers are the cooling machines of choice to condition industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities. They are used to lower the temperatures of all kinds of equipment and processes such as: robotic machinery; semiconductors; injection and blow molding machines; welding equipment; die-casting and machine tooling; paper and cement processing; power supplies; power generation stations; compressed air and gas cooling systems; medical imaging machines; chemical, drug, food and beverage production; even simply to cool potable water to desirable levels. Whether for office comfort, keeping data server centers from overheating, or specialized industrial processes, water temperature control plays a vital role in many of the behind-the-scenes activities that affect our everyday lives. Continue reading “Proving Flow Through Chillers”