A thermal imaging camera monitors the temperature different zones in a pharmaceutical process such as ribbon compaction, coating, spray drying, fluid bed drying, high shear wet granulation, crystallization, lyophilization, precipitation, fermentation, and low dosage dispensing of a pharmaceutically active liquid. The thermal imaging camera can be used to produce a visual display of a temperature profile, or a spray pattern. In addition, feedback from the thermal imaging camera is used to control one or more processing parameters.