Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA (JPPIPA)
Vol 12 No 10 (2026): In Press

Risk-Based Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Tablet Defects Using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Before and After Process Improvement

Charles Onyeka Nwamekwe (Nnamdi Azikiwe University)
Raphael Olumese Edokpia (University of Benin)



Article Info

Publish Date
06 Oct 2026

Abstract

This study assessed pharmaceutical tablet-manufacturing risk before and after a coordinated process-improvement programme using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). It focused on identifying and ranking failure modes, comparing their Risk Priority Numbers (RPNs), and quantifying residual risk reduction for the AL-MAG 1050 mg tablet line at Alben Healthcare Industries Limited, Nigeria. A retrospective before-and-after industrial risk-evaluation design examined 100 production-batch and quality records from 2022 to 2024. Eight baseline FMEA entries were screened, with four matched failure modes retained: capping, lamination, moisture drift and tool wear. The intervention tightened granule-moisture, blending-time, compression-speed and compression-force windows alongside revised Standard Operating Procedures, process monitoring and tooling controls. Risk reduction was evaluated descriptively using paired RPNs, absolute change, percentage reduction and residual ranking. Capping (50.10%) and lamination (23.57%) dominated the baseline defect burden. Post-intervention RPNs decreased from 280 to 120, 240 to 110, 210 to 95 and 190 to 90, respectively. Reductions ranged from 52.63% to 57.14%, while the aggregate descriptive RPN index declined by 54.89%, from 920 to 415. Despite these improvements, the ranking remained unchanged, with capping retaining the highest residual priority. The findings support continued risk-based surveillance of compression-related failure mechanisms

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jppipa

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry Education Materials Science & Nanotechnology Physics

Description

Science Educational Research Journal is international open access, published by Science Master Program of Science Education Graduate Program University of Mataram, contains scientific articles both in the form of research results and literature review that includes science, technology and teaching ...