The underlying point is that start from the question: how many vials from this lot do I need to test to claim that the lot meets specification, and the answer depends on both the lot size and the acceptable risk.
Under AQL sampling plans, testing two vials from a fifty-vial lot gives you an operating characteristic curve that tells you what risks you are accepting.
Published data on lot homogeneity from manufacturers who sample multiple vials consistently find variation below the published specifications, suggesting the sampling plans work.
The caveat is that sampling is a trade-off between cost and confidence, and neither test nor assumption is cost-free.
If testing multiple vials, state how many you tested and why you chose those vials.
edited 7 Nov 2025 by vialroom — fixed an arithmetic slip in the third paragraph