Category Archives: FDA Guidance

FDA DSCSA Deadline Passes Quietly

Last Friday was the deadline for the FDA to publish four new guidance documents under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) (see “Decoding The FDA’s DSCSA Timeline”).  The deadline was established by the U.S. Congress when they enacted the legislation and it was signed by President Obama on November 27, 2013 (see “It’s Official, President Obama Signs H.R. 3204, DQSA, Into Law”).  But time spent by the FDA to meet their obligations under the DSCSA is “unfunded”.  That is, Congress did not provide any specific additional money to pay for the FDA’s new obligations under the DSCSA.  It is an unfunded mandate.

Fortunately the FDA is Continue reading FDA DSCSA Deadline Passes Quietly

FDA DSCSA Deliverables Are Bunching Up In Second Half of 2015

SNI Guidance Document coverI was poking around on the FDA website yesterday to find out if any new DSCSA documents had been released recently.  I just returned from a near three-week trip to Western Europe and wanted to see if perhaps I missed something.  No.  Nothing released recently.  You can find a list of DSCSA documents released by the FDA on their website and the most recent one was published on December 31, 2014.

Back in January of this year the FDA published their annual list of guidance titles that they think they will publish in the coming year (updated in April).  That list included six titles of guidance documents related to the DSCSA that they expect to either publish in draft form, or finalize.  These include: Continue reading FDA DSCSA Deliverables Are Bunching Up In Second Half of 2015

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