Category Archives: Uncategorized

Pedigree models, standards, Uncategorized

GS1 Standards – Betcha Can’t Use Just One!

3 Comments

The title is a paraphrase of a TV commercial from the 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80’s for Lay’s Potato Chips but the sentiment is the same.  You really can’t get away with using only a single GS1 standard.  That’s why they are sometimes referred to as “The GS1 System of Standards“.  It’s a “system” of standards.  Multiple standards that are designed to work for you together in concert; as a whole; not independently.

So when your customer demands that you make use of Global Location Numbers (GLN) and/or Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), they are starting you down the path of adoption of much more than just those two “entry-level” standards (see my essay “So a customer demands that you use GLN’s and GTIN’s. What next?”).  Here is a partial list of other GS1 standards that you may benefit from adopting once you fully embrace GLN and GTIN: Continue reading GS1 Standards – Betcha Can’t Use Just One! →

Uncategorized

Happy Holidays 2010

5 Comments

I want to thank everyone for reading and commenting on RxTrace in 2010 and wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Due to our family party schedule I don’t expect to post any more essays this year.

I’m planning to see a number of movies in the next few weeks with my wife, two daughters and son-in-law.  One of our favorite holiday activities is to debate which ones to see.  Debating with my kids is probably what it must be like debating with me, but in the end we all have fun and always have a lot to talk about (and Dad pays).

So drive carefully, don’t drink and drive and don’t eat too much.  On the other hand, do make peace with your family members, sing a lot, say thanks to members of our armed forces and give to charity.  And, OK, you can eat too much just once.

See you next year.

discovery serivces, Uncategorized

Will The Pharma Supply Chain Find Any Value In GS1 Discovery Services?

8 Comments

I’m pretty excited about the kickoff this Wednesday of the GS1 EPCglobal Software Action Group (SAG) Discovery Services Work Group which will take the business and technical requirements that were collected by an earlier group and turn them into an actual standard.  This will be the first new major technical standard GS1 has started for quite a few years.  The most recent kickoff I can remember was the GS1 Drug Pedigree Messaging Standard (DPMS) which kicked off back in late 2005 and completed in January 2007.  The GS1 Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) standard effort kicked off in late 2004 and completed in April 2007.  That gives you an idea of how long these things take.

The effort to create the business and technical requirements for Discovery Services started just about two years ago and completed this past December.  How long will it take to get to a ratified standard?  The GS1 Discovery Services Work Group Charter predicts it will be done in June of 2011, but predictions in charter documents are notoriously optimistic.  The EPCIS Charter predicted that standard would be ratified in August of 2005, for example—one third the time it actually took.

This is not a bad thing in my opinion.  A Charter document needs to estimate how long the effort will take, but once things get rolling, GS1 EPCglobal takes as long as needed to get the standard right.  So how long will this one take?  Based on how long the requirements took, I’m guessing Continue reading Will The Pharma Supply Chain Find Any Value In GS1 Discovery Services? →

Uncategorized

New Layout for RxTrace

I’ve moved the RxTrace blog from BlogSpot (a Google site) to a hosted website using WordPress as the site database. The URL doesn’t change so the move should be transparent to you as a subscriber. I’ve had a couple of hickups along the way but I couldn’t have done it myself. I was fortunate to find someone who is a great artist and who knows his way around the technology. Matt Geiger took a list of my ideas and desires and then went away. The next thing I know he has implemented everything I asked for, and more, and is ready to move the site. I highly recommend his services to anyone needing web site design services, not just blog moves.

Now that the content is moved and the new look is in place, I have a lot to learn about WordPress.  I expect to continue tweaking things in the next few weeks as I have time.  I have so many ideas I want to write about but so little time.

Uncategorized

Welcome to rxTrace

1 Comment

My intent for this blog is to publish my personal ideas and opinions regarding technology issues related to regulatory compliance within the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain. I hope to cover topics like GS1 Standards, pedigree, track and trace, and issues surrounding those things, using publicly available information. This blog contains my own ideas and opinions and not those of my current or former employers and so I am solely responsible for them.

In general, the more ideas presented for consideration, the better. Most ideas will end up in the scrap heap. When I present ideas here and elsewhere, I try not to worry whether or not they might end up being rejected, because sometimes an idea that sounds bad initially can turn out to be the most innovative. Sitting on it for fear that it will be rejected would limit the chances of discovering the best idea.

All ideas benefit from collaboration with other people where they can be refined into better ideas. I hope my readers will respond often with refinements and counter-ideas. Please don’t hesitate to respond.

Thanks for reading. I hope this blog remains interesting to you.