Tag Archives: 2D Barcodes

Labels

Is Your Drug Too Small For The Mandated 2D Barcode?

Leave a comment
Is your Drug Too Small? Sample vial and syringe with barcode attached.
As an experiment, I taped the smallest DSCSA-compliant 2D barcode I could define to these sample vial and syringe from CCL Label. Notice that neither sample includes the required human readable text of the data encoded in the barcode, which means that these examples may not comply in some markets. The barcode on the vial is readable, but the one on the syringe is not readable because of the short radius of the barrel (about 5mm).

RxTrace readers are already well aware that multiple new laws around the world will require prescription drug manufacturers to put a new 2D barcode on their products in the next few years.  But what if your drug package is too small to fit the new mandated 2D barcode and human readable information on the label?  Let’s take a look at what the regulations say in the E.U., Brazil and the United States.  From that, we can come up with some strategies. Continue reading Is Your Drug Too Small For The Mandated 2D Barcode? →

DSCSA

DSCSA: Label Artwork Heartaches

iStock_93803221_barcode.artOne of the surprising things about industry preparations for the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) is how hard it is to make label changes to add the new DSCSA product identifier barcode (see “The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages”).  The artwork changes necessary take a lot longer than everyone originally expected.  Companies with hundreds of different drug packages to redesign may have trouble getting all the work done by the November 27, 2017 deadline (2018 for repackagers).  If you have thousands of different packages, you had better have a large team working on the artwork changes right now.

What’s the problem?  All you need to do is Continue reading DSCSA: Label Artwork Heartaches →

Barcodes

FDA Still Receives Requests For Exemptions From 2006 Barcode Rule

FDALogoThis morning the FDA is due to publish an announcement for an opportunity to comment on their proposed collection of certain information as part of ongoing requests for exemptions from the linear “barcode rule” that has been in effect since April 26, 2006.   The FDA is soliciting comments on the barcode label requirements for Continue reading FDA Still Receives Requests For Exemptions From 2006 Barcode Rule →

Global Alignment

The Next Markets To Impose Pharma Serialization and Tracing?

5 Comments

Digital WorldThe pharmaceutical markets that currently have a serialization and/or tracing regulation on the books include the United States, the European Union, China, Brazil, India, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.  Not all are fully operational yet, but they are official.  This list may be about to grow by two. Continue reading The Next Markets To Impose Pharma Serialization and Tracing? →

DSCSA

Again, Should You Off-Load Your DSCSA Obligations To Your Contract Partners?

??????????????????????I spent my holiday weekend having fun with my family and I hope you did the same.  Instead of spending my holiday writing a new RxTrace essay I am re-running one of my better essays, originally posted on October 6, 2014.  If you missed it then, or even if you read it then, it is worth another read.  See if you agree:

Manufacturers who make use of third-party contract manufacturers, contract packagers and/or third-party logistics providers (3PLs) may wish to off-load their 2015 and 2017 obligations under the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) to those contract organizations.  These obligations include Continue reading Again, Should You Off-Load Your DSCSA Obligations To Your Contract Partners? →

DSCSA Product Identifier

The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages

1 Comment

DSCSA Product IdentifierAccording to the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), manufacturers must apply a new “Product Identifier” on all of their prescription drug products by November 27, 2017 (Repackagers by that date in 2018).  The DSCSA Product Identifier is defined this way:

“PRODUCT IDENTIFIER.—

The term ‘product identifier’ means a standardized graphic that includes, in both human-readable form and on a machine-readable data carrier that conforms to the standards developed by a widely recognized international standards development organization, the standardized numerical identifier, lot number, and expiration date of the product.”  (Section 581[14])

Continue reading The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages →

DSCSA Product Identifier

DSCSA “Serial Numbers”

2 Comments

????????????????I often write about the fact that drug manufacturers and repackagers that sell into the U.S. market must put “serial numbers”, or “serialize” their drug packages and homogeneous cases before November 27, 2017, but what exactly does that mean?

Let’s break it down.  The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) defines the term “Product identifier” this way:

“PRODUCT IDENTIFIER.—

The term ‘product identifier’ means a standardized graphic that includes, in both human-readable form and on a machine-readable data carrier that conforms to the standards developed by a widely recognized international standards development organization, the standardized numerical identifier, lot number, and expiration date of the product.”  (Section 581[14])

Back in March of 2010—3 ½ years before Congress passed the DSCSA—the FDA published final guidance called “Guidance for Industry, Standards for Securing the Drug Supply Chain – Standardized Numerical Identification for Prescription Drug Packages”, which defined the term “standardized numerical identifier (SNI)” this way: Continue reading DSCSA “Serial Numbers” →

Decommissioning

The Coming Battle Over Decommissioning At The Pharmacy

3 Comments
Certificate of Serial Number Death
Certificate of Serial Number Death

The U.S. pharma supply chain will operate under two major phases as dictated by the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).  We are now operating under the first major phase.  Well, OK, it won’t be fully operational until July 1st when dispensers (see “Who Is A DSCSA Dispenser?”) are required to begin receiving, saving and retrieving Transaction Information (TI), Transaction History (TH), and Transaction Statements (TS) for each shipment they receive.  Drug manufacturers, repackagers and wholesale distributors were supposed to begin exchanging those documents on January 1st but in late December the FDA issued a draft guidance that indicated they will not enforce that requirement until May 1st (see “FDA Postpones Enforcement of DSCSA Transaction Data Exchange Until May 1”).  But be aware that according to the DSCSA, as of January 1st, all trading partners must be properly licensed and everyone may only buy and sell drugs legally from/to companies who hold a valid State or Federal license.  Those and other requirements of the DSCSA were not delayed by the FDA.

The second major phase of the DSCSA will not occur until November 27, 2023 when the law transforms into something that is fairly nebulous right now.  That is, between now and Continue reading The Coming Battle Over Decommissioning At The Pharmacy →