Glossary

Long Term Testing

What is Long Term Testing?

Long term testing in the pharmaceutical industry is also known as long term stability testing, involves evaluating the stability of a drug over an extended period under specified environmental conditions. This testing is crucial to ensure that product maintains its quality and safety through its shelf life.

Why is long term testing important in pharmaceutical industry?

Long term testing is critical in the pharmaceutical industry for several keys:

  • Shelf Life: Long term testing conducted under normal storage conditions, which helps in establishing the expiration date and shelf life of pharmaceutical products.
  • Efficacy and safety: By monitoring a drug’s stability over an extended period, companies can confirm that the product maintains its intended effects and safety profile throughout the shelf life.
  • Regulatory Requirements: Regulatory bodies like FDA and EMA require pharmaceutical manufactures to conduct long term stability testing as part of the drug approval process

What are the key aspects involved during long term testing?

The key aspects of long term testing are as follows:

  • Rapid Feedback Loop: Automated tests provide immediate feedback on software quality, enabling early detection of bugs and reducing the time needed for fixes.
  • Ensuring Code Stability: Continuous testing helps maintain a stable codebase by validating the correctness of individual code units, preventing issues from escalating.
  • Reliable Regression Testing: Automated regression tests ensure that new updates do not negatively impact existing functionality, allowing teams to focus on new features.
  • Increased Test Coverage: Automated testing enables a broader range of test cases to be executed quickly, ensuring critical functionalities are thoroughly tested.
  • Continuous Improvement: Long-term testing emphasizes ongoing enhancements in software quality and performance, adapting to changes throughout the software lifecycle.
  • Test Maintenance: Regular updates to test cases are essential to keep them relevant with software changes, ensuring effective testing and minimizing redundancy.
  • Documentation and Communication: Maintaining clear documentation of test cases and results is crucial for transparency and collaboration among team members.