The process for picking up prescriptions is remarkably simple for a consumer. They turn up at a pharmacist, hand over their prescription and leave with their medication in hand, ready to head home and take their prescriptions as directed. Most will spend very little (if any) time contemplating the production process- they usually do not take into consideration contemplating exactly what went into making the pills or mixtures they'll be ingesting for their health.
However, if you are involved in the industry you are well aware that there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes with multiple industries involved, from research and development to industrial engineering, to the actual medical field. There is a variety of people that work together to ensure that the end-user is safe and can use the product to pursue a healthier lifestyle.
A major part of this is making sure that during production, creators and tester have the correct equipment. One piece of equipment that is simple, but stands as a cornerstone in safety practices, is a digital thermometer. It plays a highly significant role. Even though some producers may rely on older, more traditional models, the era of the digital version is here.
Here is everything you need to know about using a digital thermometer for best results during the pharmaceutical production process.
Surface thermometers
Surface thermometers can help to ensure the quality criteria of the pharmaceutical production process. You have the option to invest in thermometers that either have permanent or connective probes to test heating elements or other surfaces. This can include a surface that is uneven as to ensure that all machinery is working.
Built-in probes allows the users to place the head to the surface of what you want to test and either view the digital readout immediately or views the results on your smartphone (depending on your model). For thermometers with connectable probes, you would affix the probes (which have a wide variety of connections) on the surface. These tend to be great options for the pharmaceutical industry as laboratory and cold storage temperatures can vary greatly.
Air temperature thermometers
Air temperature thermometers are useful to test medicine sensitivity. Similar to their surface counterparts, probes can either be fixed or connectable.
Fixed probe thermometers are used by placing the thermometer in the space that needs to be tested. It is important to make sure that nothing but air comes in contact with the probe. The instrument then displays the readout digitally or on a smartphone. This tends to be helpful for heating, cooling and ventilation purposes. On the other hand, connectable probe air thermometers tend to be utilised to show temperature differences in your digital readout. This is because you can connect probes to different areas of a room.
Penetration thermometers
Penetration thermometers are critical for the pharmaceutical industry, as they measure the temperature of the actual product itself and are renowned for their accuracy. However, pierced products are considered damaged/compromised and thus cannot be sold. Therefore they would have to be measured in samples.
These thermometers make it possible to measure the temperature of liquids and viscoplastic substances. The probe tip is designed for insertion too. Immersion thermometers from Testo are perfect for applications in laboratories, catering, industry or health technology. Testo also offers special models for measuring the temperature in aggressive media such as acids and bases.
Digital thermometers
In general, digital thermometers share several traits that make them the best option during the pharmaceutical production process. They are cable of logging and saving historical data so that producers can see the temperature over every point of the production process. This enables them to pinpoint where any issues have occurred. They are also known for their accuracy. Developments in technology have meant that digital thermometers are considered exceptional overall their older options. Their capability to record even the slightest and most sensitive changes makes it an invaluable tool.
No matter the product or surface being tested for temperature, digital thermometers can be used over and over. They are simple and easy to read, require no training or extra knowledge. This means production line managers do not have to dedicate any additional time or resources, training employees.
Readouts can often be seen directly on the tools themselves, and some models allow you to connect them to smartphones apps to provide even more information and details.
For more information about the pharmaceutical production process, get in contact with the Testo New Zealand team today!