21 CFR Part 211 · Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Finished Pharmaceuticals

§ 211.22 Responsibilities of quality control unit

Subpart B - Organization and Personnel Official text on eCFR Amendment history

(a) There shall be a quality control unit that shall have the responsibility and authority to approve or reject all components, drug product containers, closures, in-process materials, packaging material, labeling, and drug products, and the authority to review production records to assure that no errors have occurred or, if errors have occurred, that they have been fully investigated. The quality control unit shall be responsible for approving or rejecting drug products manufactured, processed, packed, or held under contract by another company.

(b) Adequate laboratory facilities for the testing and approval (or rejection) of components, drug product containers, closures, packaging materials, in-process materials, and drug products shall be available to the quality control unit.

(c) The quality control unit shall have the responsibility for approving or rejecting all procedures or specifications impacting on the identity, strength, quality, and purity of the drug product.

(d) The responsibilities and procedures applicable to the quality control unit shall be in writing; such written procedures shall be followed.

Independent copy, not an official legal edition. 21 CFR is a U.S. Government work in the public domain; this text comes from the eCFR and the annual CFR edition, and may lag recent amendments. The authoritative version is on ecfr.gov. Compliome is not affiliated with or endorsed by FDA. Not legal advice.

What FDA inspectors cite under § 211.22

Form FDA 483 observations citing this section, fiscal years 2009–2026 (Drugs).

  • Procedures not in writing, fully followed 2,402
  • Lack of quality control unit 473
  • Approve or reject procedures or specs 174
  • Authority lacking to review records, investigate errors 160
  • Approve or reject components, products 138
  • Adequate lab facilities not available 65

Warning letters citing § 211.22

426 FDA warning letters since 2017 cite this section ; the most recent:

FDA guidance that cites § 211.22

and 18 more.

Amendment history

Federal Register documents that created or amended this section.