Category Archives: HDMA

HDMA

Standards and Guidance For U.S. Pharma Supply Chain Technology

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[This essay is one of two long lost essays that have now been restored on RxTrace.  It was originally published on November 22, 2010.  See “Return Of Two Classics” for an explanation.]

In my last essay, “Who Will Decide Which Pedigree Model You Will Invest In?” I pointed out how easy it is to get confused about pedigree technology because of varying claims made by certain companies who have interests that don’t align well with yours.  So where can you get better information?  I can provide you with a few good sources, and I will also tell you about a missing ingredient that I see in the current guidance landscape that will need to be addressed in the next couple of years. Continue reading Standards and Guidance For U.S. Pharma Supply Chain Technology →

HDMA

Updated HDMA Bar Code Guidance: A Must Read

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In a long awaited and much anticipated move the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) published updated guidance for the formatting, encoding and placement of barcodes in the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.  The document is called “HDMA Guidelines for Bar Coding in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain 2011”.  The guidance is aimed mostly at pharma manufacturers and repackagers who place barcodes on their drug packages, cases and pallets.  The last time the guide was published was in 2005 and this new edition includes some significant changes that everyone in the supply chain who deals with product and shipping container labeling should be aware of.

The updated document can be downloaded from the HDMA Marketplace web page.  It is free to HDMA members.  Non-members will need to pay a fee but don’t let that stop you from downloading a copy if you have any Continue reading Updated HDMA Bar Code Guidance: A Must Read →

HDMA

GS1 Identifiers and EPC’s in EDI Messages: Important New HDMA Guidance

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Earlier this month the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) published newly updated guidance documents for the use of Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12 Electronic Document Interchange (EDI) messages in the U.S. healthcare supply chain.  This is a very important update that supply chain participants should take notice of because it includes new information about how to properly communicate GS1 identifiers, including GLN’s, GTIN’s, and Electronic Product Codes (EPC’s) like SGTIN’s and SSCC’s, within the four document types that are in common use for Order-to-Cash transactions.

The EDI document types included in the updated guidance includes: Continue reading GS1 Identifiers and EPC’s in EDI Messages: Important New HDMA Guidance →

HDMA

Terminology: Track and Trace, and Pedigree

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I don’t get paid for endorsements.  I don’t sell my opinion.  No one has my thoughts under their control.  So when I tell you that the Healthcare Distribution Management Association’s HDMA Track and Trace Seminar is my favorite pharmaceutical industry serialization and pedigree seminar every year, you should know that’s my honest opinion.  This year, the event will be held on November 8-10 in National Harbor, MD (just south of Washington DC).

BTW, This opinion wasn’t solicited and I am paying full (member) price to attend the event.  This isn’t an advertisement.  It’s what I believe.

It’s an event that is intensely focused on Continue reading Terminology: Track and Trace, and Pedigree →