From cultivation to the pharmacy, several regulatory standards interlock. A factual overview of what GACP, GMP and GDP each safeguard.
Medical cannabis is a medicine. Along its supply chain, several quality standards therefore interlock, each safeguarding a different stage – from cultivation through processing to distribution to the pharmacy.
GACP (Good Agricultural and Collection Practice) governs cultivation and harvest: growing conditions, documentation, drying and the avoidance of contamination at the plant itself. GACP establishes the basis for reproducible raw-material quality.
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) governs pharmaceutical processing. Within the EU-GMP framework, processes are validated, batches documented and finally released by a Qualified Person (QP). Only this release makes a batch marketable.
GDP (Good Distribution Practice) governs storage and transport. Temperature control, traceability and a documented approach to returns and complaints ensure that the quality achieved in production is maintained all the way to the pharmacy.
Only the seamless interplay of these standards results in end-to-end quality assurance. For pharmacies this means a traceable chain from plant to compounding – documented and auditable.