FDA Posts DSCSA-Specific Information Sharing Agreement Template For State Agencies

istock_19522725_smallerWhile I was preparing a DSCSA resource list to be handed out at the Systech Uniquity event in Mumbai next week I stumbled across a document that the FDA recently posted on their website.  It is a template for a DSCSA-specific information sharing agreement that is aimed at state agencies, like state boards of pharmacy and probably state’s attorneys’ offices and state bureaus of investigation, etc.  The DSCSA contains several clauses that imply data sharing between the FDA and “…appropriate Federal or State official[s]”. 

The problem is, the data that would likely need to be shared Continue reading FDA Posts DSCSA-Specific Information Sharing Agreement Template For State Agencies

FDA To Hold DSCSA Public Meeting

2016-04-05 14.11.09.reducedThe FDA is almost 10 months behind in the release of guidance documents for the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) as scheduled by Congress (see “FDA DSCSA Deadline Passes Quietly”, “Who Is Being Harmed By Four Overdue FDA DSCSA Guidances?”, “FDA Speaks At GS1 Connect”, and “FDA Plans Busy Second Half of 2016 With Six DSCSA Draft Guidances Expected”).  So far this year the FDA has held one public meeting to collect public and stakeholder input on the pilot that the law mandates (see “FDA To Hold DSCSA Pilots Workshop”, and “The 2016 FDA Pilots Workshop”).  The DSCSA requires the FDA to hold at least five public meetings “…to enhance the safety and security of the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain and provide for comment.”

This morning, the FDA announced Continue reading FDA To Hold DSCSA Public Meeting

Serialization Mistake #1: Printing On Your Outsert

istock_83993805_smallerThere are lots of mistakes a company can make when designing their solution to comply with pharma serialization and tracing regulations.  One of these is to print the unique identifier on the outsert attached to their packaging.  An “outsert” is a tightly folded piece of paper that contains very detailed prescribing information intended to inform medical professionals who prescribe, dispense and/or administer the drug.  It contains Continue reading Serialization Mistake #1: Printing On Your Outsert

Proposed Pharma Serialization Regulation Progresses in Brazil

395px-Coat_of_arms_of_Brazil.svgThe government of Brazil is trying to recover from the poor design of their first attempt at a pharma serialization and tracing regulation, RDC-54/2013.  That first regulation was at least partially suspended (see “Brazil Suspends Pharma Serialization And Tracing Requirements” and “The Official Suspension of the Three-Lot Pilot in Brazil”).  Everyone seems to be operating under the assumption that the entire RDC-54-2013 will be replaced with a new regulation.  Legislation to do exactly that has been slowly churning its way through the Legislature for the last 9 months.  Word came last week that Continue reading Proposed Pharma Serialization Regulation Progresses in Brazil

The HDA Bar Code Quick Start Guide For Meeting The DSCSA And Other FDA Regulations

HDA logoThe Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) (formerly HDMA) published their highly anticipated “Guidelines for Bar Coding in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain, Quick Start Guide” a few weeks ago.  Do yourself a favor and stop reading this essay right now, click on the link and download your copy and read it.  It is free, and it is essential reading for manufacturers and solution providers who expect to develop and deploy solutions that ship serialized units and cases of prescription drugs to U.S. wholesale distributors.  This includes solutions that Continue reading The HDA Bar Code Quick Start Guide For Meeting The DSCSA And Other FDA Regulations

Product Identification And National Registration Codes

iStock_000090544423_smallerThere is a long-running tug-of-war going on between GS1 and national governments around the world over how exactly to identify medical products, whether devices or pharmaceuticals.  National governments regulate those products to maximize the health of their citizens and so they take a natural interest in how they are identified.  They want to eliminate all ambiguity between products within their market.  They need to be able to tightly grant market authorization, revoke it and oversee recalls when warranted.  To do that effectively, they need a way of clearly and concisely referencing a given product.  That same way of referencing the product should also be used for patient education and for healthcare professional prescribing.  Bad things happen when mistakes are made in the identification of healthcare products.

GS1 offers a global standard way of identifying Continue reading Product Identification And National Registration Codes

FDA Plans Busy Second Half of 2016 With Six DSCSA Draft Guidances Expected

FDALogoLast week the US FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) published an update to their guidance agenda for calendar 2016.  Originally published in January, this is the mid-year update, when the CDER has a shorter window to think about and, presumably, can be more accurate.  What has changed since January?  The number of Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)-related draft guidance they expect to publish by year end remains the same, as reported by our friends at the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS).

In fact, according to RAPS, those same six draft guidances were Continue reading FDA Plans Busy Second Half of 2016 With Six DSCSA Draft Guidances Expected

Who Will Enforce The DSCSA 2017 Serialization Mandate?

Last week I listened in on a Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) call hosted by one of the Big-3 U.S. wholesale distributors.  It was a well-run call that included several presentations and a Q&A session.  Several times the question was discussed about whether or not the wholesale distributor would accept non-serialized product in the time between November 27, 2017 and November 27, 2019. Continue reading Who Will Enforce The DSCSA 2017 Serialization Mandate?