Tag Archives: Pharma serialization

How Will The DSCSA Serialization Mandate Be Enforced After 2017?

iStock_38947550_smallerDrug manufacturers, contract manufacturers (CMOs) and contract packagers (CPOs) are all working hard right now preparing to meet the November 27, 2017 deadline when all prescription drugs entering the U.S. market must contain the new machine- and human-readable product identifier defined in the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) (see “The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages“).  The date for repackagers is one year later (see “Who Is A DSCSA Repackager?”).  From what I hear around the industry, some companies are going to make that date, but some will not.  What will happen next for those how are not ready?  I discussed this from a regulator perspective last year in one of my personal favorite essays, “An Open Letter To The FDA, EMA and ANVISA, RE: Who Are You Going To Punish?”, but what about from the perspective of those who will be late? Continue reading How Will The DSCSA Serialization Mandate Be Enforced After 2017?

Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance? Part 2

QuestionBottle.Part 2Part 1 of this essay provided a wealth of hyperlinks into the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and FDA guidance documents with content related to placing the National Drug Code in human- and machine-readable form onto drug packages prior to November 27, 2017 (see “Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance?  Part 1”).  In Part 2, we will look at how the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) will change, or add-to, the requirements found in those earlier specifications.  And finally, we will be able to answer the question in the essay title.

HOW THE DSCSA CHANGES THE NDC AND BARCODE REQUIREMENTS FOR DRUG PACKAGES

First of all, the DSCSA does not change anything Continue reading Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance? Part 2

Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance? Part 1

QuestionBottleAfter November 27, 2017 the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requires drug manufacturers (2018 for repackagers) to affix a DSCSA “product identifier” to all drug packages entering the supply chain (see “The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages”).  According to the DSCSA, that product identifier must be present in both human-readable and 2D Data Matrix barcode forms.  Part of that product identifier is what is known as a Standardized Numerical Identifier (SNI).  The SNI is composed of the drug’s National Drug Code (NDC) and a serial number (see “DSCSA ‘Serial Numbers’”) that is unique on every individual package of that drug (see “FDA Aligns with GS1 SGTIN For SNDC” and “Anatomy Of An FDA SNI”).

Lately, I’ve heard people in the industry claim that it is acceptable to use a GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) that encapsulates an NDC (see “Depicting An NDC Within A GTIN”) to satisfy the NDC part of this DSCSA requirement to affix the product identifier on a drug package.  I’m not so sure about that.  Let me explain. Continue reading Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance? Part 1

GLN: The Lowly Identifier That Could Kill The Use Of EPCIS For Pharma Regulatory Compliance

iStock_000085320577_SmallerAlmost everyone agrees that GS1’s Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) standard will be used by drug manufacturers and the large wholesale distributors in the United States for compliance with the serialization requirement of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).  Even I think that (see “Will EPCIS Event Exchange Replace EDI ASNs for DSCSA Someday?”).  But there is a problem that could kill its use beyond the internal uses of today, keeping it from being used for data exchange or the data repositories that will eventually become the way data is “exchanged” in 2023 as part of the Enhanced Drug Distribution Security (EDDS) phase of the DSCSA.

The problem is, EPCIS defaults to the use of a single location identifier, the GS1 Global Location Number (GLN).  So what?  Why is that a problem?  Let me explain. Continue reading GLN: The Lowly Identifier That Could Kill The Use Of EPCIS For Pharma Regulatory Compliance

Sponsored: DSCSA Serialization Update: Where We are Now and How to Prepare for What’s Next

LSPediA logoAt the recent HDMA Distribution Management Conference, LSPediA spent a lot of time talking to distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers about the 2017 deadlines and found a wide range of answers, from “on schedule and feeling confident” to “behind schedule and getting concerned.”

But let’s put aside your status for a moment and consider the broader picture: how far we’ve all come, and where we’re headed as serialization deadlines get closer to becoming a reality. Continue reading Sponsored: DSCSA Serialization Update: Where We are Now and How to Prepare for What’s Next

EU FMD: Aggregation Is Not Mandated, But It Will Be Necessary

iStock_000016455220_SmallerEver since the E.U. Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) was passed in 2011 my European friends have touted the fact that their government mandated solution would take a “bookend” approach.  The implication was always that it would be much less complex than the ePedigree approaches that were being planned by various U.S. states, and then by the U.S. federal government with the passage in 2013 of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

My friends always liked to point out how simple Continue reading EU FMD: Aggregation Is Not Mandated, But It Will Be Necessary

HDMA Updates Q&A For DSCSA

HDMA LogoI was on the HDMA’s website last week doing some research for one of my clients, and I found that the HDMA has updated their highly regarded Q&A document that provides answers to questions related to the U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).  I have reviewed this document before in its previous incarnation and view it as one of the best resources out there for all supply chain participants (see “InBrief: HDMA Updates DSCSA Q&A“).  Each time they update it they Continue reading HDMA Updates Q&A For DSCSA

Sponsored: Tell The FDA About Your Progress Toward The DSCSA Serialization Deadline, Anonymously

2015-12-09 20.36.00This is a “sponsored” essay, which simply means it is free to everyone and does not count against their one free essay per month for those who are not full subscribers.  The reason for that is to maximize the number of people who have the opportunity to tell the FDA how they are progressing toward the DSCSA serialization  deadline, and do so anonymously. Continue reading Sponsored: Tell The FDA About Your Progress Toward The DSCSA Serialization Deadline, Anonymously