Quality assurance professionals in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries should be considered an essential investment critical to the success of a life science company – particularly in times like these when organizations face supply chain issues, according to Harris Beach partner Judi Abbott Curry.

Writing in the 2021 Sedgwick State of the National Brand Recall Index (edition 2), Judi advises that significant manufacturing problems or unusual adverse events were sometimes preceded by a lean quality assurance team with limited education and time. Instead of that lean-and-mean approach, Judi encourages companies to double down on their quality assurance and control departments, ensuring they have the appropriate staff with enough bandwidth to effectively implement the company’s quality assurance mission for health, safety and efficacy.

The Sedgwick index includes insights from thought leaders addressing risks in various industries. It offers a deep dive into the regulatory and legal challenges facing the consumer product, automotive, food and drink, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. Judi’s article appears on page 34.