Tag Archives: CPO

The Open Serialization Communication Standard (Open-SCS)

open-scs-logo2-300x289Most RxTrace readers are at least aware of GS1 standards.  GS1 is an international non-profit membership organization that facilitates the development and maintenance of technical standards that are intended for use within supply chain operations and interactions.  GS1 standards are used in many supply chains including pharma.  GS1 standards are playing an indispensable role in the implementation of pharma serialization, including their GTIN, GLN, SSCC, Datamatrix, application identifier and EPCIS standards.  I have written frequently about GS1 and these specific standards (see “GS1”).

But today I want to draw your attention to a different standards development organization Continue reading The Open Serialization Communication Standard (Open-SCS)

Sponsored: The 2016 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, Sponsored by Frequentz, Final Report

Cover thumbnailThe final report of the 2016 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, sponsored by Frequentz is now available.  Download the full free report here.  With this year’s survey we attempted to get a glimpse of the progress toward the next deadlines of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) from drug manufacturers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, 3PLs and dispensers.  Each of those different types of respondents were asked a different set of questions that were pertinent to their segment and their regulatory requirements under the DSCSA.

Frequentz.logoTake a close look at the results.  They reveal that Continue reading Sponsored: The 2016 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, Sponsored by Frequentz, Final Report

Progress Toward Serialization!?

2014 enough time graph.zoomLast week I announced the availability of the 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey Results that are sponsored by Frequentz.  You should download a free copy of the report here.  This week I want to look at another interesting finding taken directly from the report.  It shows that progress is being made by drug manufacturers, repackagers and CMO/CPOs toward meeting the 2017 (2018 for repackagers) deadline for adding serial numbers to the drug packages they produce for the U.S. market.  That requirement comes from the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) enacted in November of 2013.

One of the many questions we asked Continue reading Progress Toward Serialization!?

2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey Results, Sponsored by Frequentz Now Available!

graphI am proud to announce the free availability of the 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey Results, sponsored by Frequentz.  You can download the new free report here.

This year’s results were very interesting because most of the responses came in during the critical time just before the 2015 DSCSA requirements were to go into effect.  The questions asked were designed to elicit opinions on a wide range of topics, including the respondent company’s ability to meet the regulations on time, their technology choices and practices.  This year Continue reading 2015 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey Results, Sponsored by Frequentz Now Available!

Working With CMOs Under California ePedigree

CMO ZoomImportant Notice To Readers of This Essay On November 27, 2013, President Barack Obama signed the Drug Quality and Security Act of 2013 into law. That act has many provisions, but one is to pre-empt all existing and future state serialization and pedigree laws like those that previously existed in California and Florida. Some or all of the information contained in this essay is about some aspect of one or more of those state laws and so that information is now obsolete. It is left here only for historical purposes for those wishing to understand those old laws and the industry’s response to them.So far in RxTrace I have explored the possible implications of the California pedigree law on drug repackagers, 3PLs, VMI relationships and, of course wholesale distributors.  Now let’s take a closer look at the murky world of the contract manufacturing organization (CMO).  I call this world “murky” only because you have to look very carefully at the relationship between a CMO and the contracting manufacturer to fully understand how the pedigree law might be applied.  And even then you are going to have to check with the California Board of Pharmacy because the law is so confusing in this area. Continue reading Working With CMOs Under California ePedigree