ISO 13485 Certification Overview

The FDA equivalent of ISO 13485 is 21 CFR 820. Although becoming ISO 13485 certified will not satisfy the requirements of Part 820, there is some overlap between the two. ISO focuses on developing and maintaining a QMS, and Part 820 focuses on good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for medical devices. However, the differences between the regulation and standard may be diminishing. Recently, the FDA announced that it intends to use ISO 13485 as the basis for revisions to 21 CFR 820.

The main requirement for ISO 13485 certification is a comprehensive quality management system (QMS) that allows companies to meet regulatory requirements. The certification audit, mentioned above, includes a record review during stage 1 and a full audit of the remaining QMS processes in stage 2. Major issues may require a second audit, but minor issues can be resolved with corrective action plans. After the auditor accepts the corrective action plans, certification is typically completed within a month.

The MasterControl quality management suite consists of configurable, easy-to-use and connected applications. The suite helps companies meet the requirements of ISO 13485 certification and 21 CFR Part 820 by automating, streamlining and effectively managing the following applications: document control, change control, training control, audits, corrective/preventive action (CAPA), customer complaints, and other documents and forms-based quality and business processes. Best of all, MasterControl does it all under a single Web-based platform.

Organizations all over the world use MasterControl software solutions to ensure compliance – including organizations that enforce compliance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) became a MasterControl customer in 2009. Since then, the FDA has expanded its use and now multiple divisions of the Agency use MasterControl software solutions.