CAPA stands for Corrective and Preventive Action. It brings together actions used to investigate quality problems, address their causes and manage the risk of recurrence or future occurrence.

A correction addresses a detected problem. A corrective action addresses its cause to prevent recurrence. A preventive action addresses the cause of a potential problem before it occurs.

A useful CAPA record identifies the issue, supporting evidence, investigation, actions, owners and deadlines. It also defines how effectiveness will be assessed: completing an action is not enough if the same problem continues.

Family: Quality / GxP. Apply the terminology and process required by your organisation’s quality system.

Discuss your quality improvement process