Glossary Term: Corrective Action Preventative Action (CAPA)

Corrective Action, Preventative Action is the process of investigating, identifying and addressing issues or problems where corrective action is taken to eliminate the root cause of the issues preventing further action from needing to be taken. This method looks at the manufacturing process, customer complaints and internal audits to identify areas where non-conformities or undesirable outcomes occur and seeks to prevent those same issues in the future. CAPA is used to improve manufacturing and end products by eliminating all potential for errors and non-conformities. Ultimately the goal of CAPA is to address the heart of the issue so that no other similar issue will occur.

As a part of the good manufacturing practices, CAPA may be required in certain industries where quality assurance is crucial in the final product, including pharmaceuticals and medical device manufacturing.

---

To view the complete list of glossary terms, click here.