Pharmaceutical Quality - Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (PQ-CMC) Submissions to FDA
2.0.0-ballot - 2025Jan United States of America flag

Pharmaceutical Quality - Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (PQ-CMC) Submissions to FDA, published by HL7 International / Biomedical Research and Regulation. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 2.0.0-ballot built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/HL7/FHIR-us-pq-cmc-fda/ and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions

Artifact List

This page provides a list of the FHIR artifacts defined as part of this implementation guide.

Structures: Abstract Profiles

These are profiles on resources or data types that describe patterns used by other profiles, but cannot be instantiated directly. I.e. instances can conform to profiles based on these abstract profiles, but do not declare conformance to the abstract profiles themselves.

Analysis Graphic

Any attached file that contains a graphical representation

Analytical Instrument Data

Any attached file that contains analytical instrument data

Attached Document (PDF)

An attached PDF file

Document Reference Attachment

A profile that represents the document or diagram in base64.

Graphic Reference

A Document Reference to any attachment tha contains a graphical representation

Literal Coded Reference

abstract profile to ensure the reference portion of a codeable reference is used, and that the reference is a literal reference to some resource in a bundle

Literal Reference

abstract profile to ensure the reference is always a literal reference. Used in conjuction with a rule set to ensure every reference is also bundled

PQCMC Attachment

Any attached file in a submission is required to have a type, data, and a title

Structure Data

Any attached file that contains structure data (e.g. SDFiles, MolFiles, INCHI)

Structure Data Reference

A Document Reference to any attachment that contains structure data

Text Only Codeable Concept

abstract profile for the common scenario where only the text field is used and is required. Doesn't stop the coding portion from being used but it will not be parsed

Structures: Resource Profiles

These define constraints on FHIR resources for systems conforming to this implementation guide.

Basic Organization

A profile for the data elements required to identify the sponsor of the drug products or substances, Suppliers.

Batch Formula Drug Product Identification

The Drug Product produced by the batch formula.

CMC eCTD 32P10 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32P1 profiles.

CMC eCTD 32P32 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32P32 profiles (Product Batch Formula).

CMC eCTD 32P55 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32P55 profile (Product Characterisation of Impurities).

CMC eCTD 32S10 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32S1 profiles.

CMC eCTD 32S23 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32S23 profiles.

CMC eCTD 32S3 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32S3 profiles.

CMC eCTD SP4151 Document

Definition for a document bundle with the CMC eCTD SP4151 profiles.

Component Substance

Any raw material intended for use in the manufacture of a drug substance, or any ingredient intended for use in the manufacture of a drug product including those that may not appear in such drug product.

ContainerClosure

Container Closure for drug product referred to in Drug Product Description.

Drug Product Batch Formula

Listing of all components of the dosage form to be used in the manufacture, their amounts on a per batch basis, including overages, and reference to their quality standards.

Drug Product Batch Formula Ingredient

The amount details about the drug product ingredients in the batch. Use for Batch Formula.

Drug Product Component

The amount details about the drug product components to define the product composition in a product unit. Use composition.

Drug Product Description

Includes the properties of the drug product and components. Profile of Drug Product profile.

Drug Product Handle

Includes the essential identifying information of the drug product required to link to other profiles about the product in the eCTD structure.

Drug Product Impurities

List of drug product impurities. Profile of Drug Product profile.

Drug Substance

Drug Substance (Active Ingredient) nomenclature and characterisation.

Drug Substance Handle

Provides sufficient information to identify a drug substance. Profile on SubstanceDefinition.

Drug Substance Impurity

Any component of the drug substance that is not the chemical entity for procduct composition.

Excipient Drug Substance

Provides sufficient information to identify an inactive substance and raw materials and its source when stability data is required in the submission.

Manufactured Drug Product

The manufactured drug product defined by all its parts or layers. If the drug product composition is homogeneous it will have a single part or component.

Polymorphic Form

Alternate structure present in the drug substance

Quality Specification

A quality specification is for a drug product or drug substance (excipient, API or raw material).

Substance General Information

Substance General Information containing Drug Substance (Active Ingredient) nomenclature (3.2.S.1.1) and Substance Structure (3.2.S.1.2) profile.

eCTD Batch Formula

The fields needed to represent the Product Batch Formula to be included under the eCTD. References Sponsor Organization and Batch Formula

eCTD Product Characterisation of Impurities Composition

The fields needed to represent the Product Characterisation of Impurities in a to be included under the eCTD. References Sponsor Organization and Product Characterisation of Impurities

eCTD Product Description and Composition

The fields needed to represent the Product Description, Container Closure and Composition of the Drug Product to be included under the 3.2.P.1 heading of the eCTD. References Sponsor Organization, Drug Product Description, and Product Container Closure System.

eCTD Specification Composition

The fields needed to represent Quality Specifications for APIs, Drug Substances, Excipients and Raw Materials.

eCTD Substance Characterisation

The fields needed to represent the Substance Structure and Impurities to be included under the 3.2.S.3 heading of the eCTD. References Sponsor Organization, Drug Substance Structure, and Drug Substance Impurities

eCTD Substance Control of Materials Composition

The fields needed to represent the Substance Control of Materials to be included under the eCTD 3.2.S.2.3 heading. References Sponsor Organization and Drug Substance Materials.

eCTD Substance General Information

The fields needed to represent the Substance Nomenclature and Structure to be included under the 3.2.S.1 heading of the eCTD. References Sponsor Organization.

Structures: Data Type Profiles

These define constraints on FHIR data types for systems conforming to this implementation guide.

PqAddress

pq-specific Constraints on the Address datatype dealing with US addresses.

Structures: Extension Definitions

These define constraints on FHIR data types for systems conforming to this implementation guide.

Additional Information

Any additional information that that the submitter wishes to provide to the FDA that is not structured in the IG. The content of the information submitted via Additional Information may be analyzed at some point in the future, to identify candidate elements for structuring in future iterations of the IG.

Amount Ratio

represent an amount as a ratio in ManufacturedItemDefinition

Hierarchical Level
Numeric level in the hierarchical value-set. As an example, this extension is used to distinguished between Test Category Test Subcategory in Quality Specifications. Test Category is level 1 and Test Subcategory is level two. A constraint enforces values greater than zero.
Product Batch Ingredient Extension

Extension for measurement properties for ingredients in the batch formla.

Product Batch Strength Textual Extension

Extension for strenght as a string for ingredients in the batch formla.

Specification Status

A classification of the regulatory status of the specification.

Strength Extension

Strength Type (for API)

Target Range

The FHIR Range datatype uses Simple Quantities to represent the high and low bounds, which do not allow a comparator to be set. This extension allows the high and low bounds to have a comparator

Terminology: Value Sets

These define sets of codes used by systems conforming to this implementation guide.

Analytical Instrument Data File Types

The acceptable file types that can be used in Analytical Instrument Data Files

Batch utilization Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to batch utilization in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Capsule Shell Classification Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the classification of a capsule in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Chemical Structure Data File Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to chemical structure data file types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Closure Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to closure types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Coating Purpose Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the coating purpose in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Container Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to container types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Drug Product Component Function Category Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to drug product component function categories in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Drug Route Of Administration Terminology

Terminology used for representation of the information on pharmaceutical product route of administration in the framework of the Structured Product Labeling documents.

Excipient Function Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to excipient functions in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

GENC and ISO 3166 Intersection

The 3 letter country codes used in GENC and ISO have significant overlap: only the country codes in ISO 3166 that have an equivalent code in GENC may be used

Graphical File Types

The acceptable file types that can be used in graphical files

Impurity Classification Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to impurity classifications in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Ingredient Location Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the location of an ingredient within a product in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Manufactured Dose Form Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the manufactured dose form.

Non-Percentage Units

Units of Measure terminologies that do not represent percentages

Organization-Site Identifier Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the sponsor or testing site unique identifier types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

PQCMC Name Part Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to Name Part data in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Percentage Units

Units of Measure terminologies that represent the concept of a percentage

Pharmaceutical Dosage Form Terminology

Terminology used for representation of the information on pharmaceutical product dosage form in the framework of the SPL documents.

Product Name Types Terminology

The type of the product name. Often the proprietary name is unknow at the time of submission.

Product Part Type Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to the product part type in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Quality Benchmark Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to quality benchmarks in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Release Mechanism Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to release mechanism in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Release Profile Terminology

A category of terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to release profile in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Representation Types

The different types of representations (graphical, structure/file and structure/text)

Source Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to source types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Specification Section Type Terminology

Local value set of all codes in Specification Type codes

Specification Status Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to specification statuses in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Specification Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to specification types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Strength Type Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to strength types in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Structure Data Types

The acceptable file types that can be used in Structure Data Files (MOL,SDF,INCHI,etc)

Substance Classification

Substance classes

Substance Name Type

A category of terminology used to quality the information pertaining to the type of substance name in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Test Category Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to test categories in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Test Method Origin Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to test method origins in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Test Usage Terminology

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to test usage in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents.

Units Of Measure

Terminology used to qualify the information pertaining to units of measure in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Quality/Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls documents. Note: Includes SPL Unit of Presentation Terminology

eCTD sections Terminology

Value set of all codes in Code system PQCMC Comp Section Types.

Terminology: Code Systems

These define new code systems used by systems conforming to this implementation guide.

PQ-CMC-FDA NCIt Hieararchy Supplement

Provides hierarchical relationships for value sets as a CodeSystem supplement to the NCI Thesaurus (NCIt)

Example: Example Instances

These are example instances that show what data produced and consumed by systems conforming with this implementation guide might look like.

32532fe8-1bfb-4a0a-998d-9294742a9519

Example of a document bunlde for 3.2.S.3

7cdbb042-9275-4599-a1fe-08877846bf94

FHIR document bundle with the CMC eCTD SP4151 profile for an Excipient

9e8f2d16-66b1-47ec-878d-f50ae021985b

FHIR document bundle with the CMC eCTD 32P55 profile for a Drug Product

Bundle for 3.2.S.1

Bundle containng nomenclature and molecular structure

CMCeCTDDocument32P10 bundle

A bundle for 3.2.P.1.0

Example Batch Formula bundle

FHIR bundle with a CMC eCTD 32P32 profile

Example Batch Formula bundle with two layers

FHIR bundle with a CMC eCTD 32P32 profile - with layers

FHIR Document example of 3.2.P.5.1.

FHIR document bundle with the CMC eCTD SP4151 profile for a Drug Product

FHIR Document example of 3.2.S.4.1.

FHIR document bundle with the CMC eCTD SP4151 profile for a Drug Substance

de75e338-626c-4503-a25d-4fcdd8e39bee

An SDF file in a Structure Reference

eCTD Document for 32S23

This is an example of the Substance Control of Materials bundle profile. It is to submit Module 3 of CTD 3.2.S.2.3 folder content to the FDA.