A Closer Look At Web Portals for DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange

???????????????These are the last few days of 2014.  During the rush up to Christmas, the FDA gave the industry a gift by announcing that they will not enforce the transaction data exchange requirements of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) until May 1, 2015—a four month delay (see “FDA Postpones Enforcement of DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange Until May 1” for details).  So things are likely to be quieter this week than they otherwise might have been.  And if you are one of those who are working this week, why not fill out the 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, sponsored by Frequentz?  It will be closed soon so make sure you click here to fill it out now.

One of the approaches that the FDA mentioned in their data exchange guidance, published on November 26, is the use of secure web portals (see “FDA Publishes Draft Guidance For DSCSA Data Exchange”).  Some companies are Continue reading A Closer Look At Web Portals for DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange

FDA Postpones Enforcement of DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange Until May 1

?????????????????In a direct response to concerns expressed by the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) and others (see “HDMA Expresses Concerns About Industry Readiness for DSCSA” and “Will The DSCSA Cause Drug Shortages After January 1?”), the FDA posted new guidance that states their intention to postpone enforcement of just the requirements for manufacturers, wholesale distributors and repackagers to provide and capture Transaction Information (TI), Transaction History (TH) and Transaction Statements (TS).  That requirement was to Continue reading FDA Postpones Enforcement of DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange Until May 1

FDA’s DSCSA Guidance in 2014

iStock_000025908089SmallerWhen Congress penned the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) last year it laid out specific dates and subjects for which it expected the FDA to publish guidance on.  So far in 2014, the FDA has kept up with that schedule by holding a public meeting, publishing multiple draft guidances and setting up a website to collect information from wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers.

The public meeting was held on May 8th and 9th to collect ideas for the standards that FDA should support for the interoperable exchange of transaction data in paper and electronic form, starting with manufacturers, repackagers and wholesale distributors on January 1, 2015 and dispensers on July 1, 2015 (see “The 2014 FDA DSCSA Workshop“).  During the workshop, the attendees raised Continue reading FDA’s DSCSA Guidance in 2014

FDA Posts Guidance For Wholesale Distributor and 3PL Annual Reporting

Annual Reporting Draft GuidanceThe FDA posted new draft guidance for pharma wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers to follow to meet their obligation to register their licensing information annually.  The new requirement is from the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) that was enacted last year (see “It’s Official, President Obama Signs H.R. 3204, DQSA, Into Law“).  The draft guidance explains who, what, when and how companies must report.  The FDA will make the data reported available to the public through a web site at some point in the future.

The information the FDA will collect as part of the report from both wholesale distributors and 3PLs include facility location and contact information, a unique facility identifier, license information for each State–including expiration dates–and any significant disciplinary action Continue reading FDA Posts Guidance For Wholesale Distributor and 3PL Annual Reporting

What will happen next? The 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, Sponsored by Frequentz

Frequentz LogoFor the second year in a row RxTrace is partnering with Frequentz to conduct a survey about U.S. Pharma Traceability.  This year the survey has been improved with separate sets of questions for each segment of the supply chain and also for companies who are not actual supply chain members.  The survey asks questions about the readiness of companies for the 2015 requirements of the DSCSA as well as preparations for the 2017 serialization requirements.  A few of the questions are the same as last year so we can track any change in thinking.

Click here to take the 2015 survey.

The answers you provide Continue reading What will happen next? The 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, Sponsored by Frequentz

HDMA Expresses Concerns About Industry Readiness for DSCSA

HDMA LogoLast week the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA), the industry association for the U.S. primary healthcare distributors, published a letter from HDMA President and CEO John M. Gray to the FDA expressing concerns that not all members of the supply chain will be ready to exchange the transaction data mandated by the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) by the January 1 deadline.

The letter expresses concern about the potential that complexities of implementing the law across the entire supply chain… Continue reading HDMA Expresses Concerns About Industry Readiness for DSCSA

The Coming Transition To Serialized Data

???????????In less than one month the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) will require all sales of drugs in the U.S. pharma supply chain to be accompanied by some very specific data (see “FDA Publishes Draft Guidance For DSCSA Data Exchange”).  The law requires companies to begin exchanging data on January 1 in either paper or electronic form, but because it would be virtually impossible for the big 3 wholesale distributors to accept even a single piece of paper for even a single shipment, the bulk of the U.S. sales by pharma manufacturers will be documented electronically from day-one.  It turns out, the vast majority of that electronic documentation will be passed in the form of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Advance Ship Notices (ASNs) (see “DQSA: Getting To Electronic Transaction Data Exchange”, “Just Released – The HDMA EDI ASN Guidance For DSCSA”, “HDMA Has Updated Their EDI ASN Guidance For DSCSA, Again” and “The HDMA Supply Chain Product Transaction Scenarios For DSCSA”).

But the vast majority of those EDI ASN documents are not likely to Continue reading The Coming Transition To Serialized Data