Tag Archives: pharmaceutical supply chain

Aggregation

An Aggregation ‘Discussion’

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Trade item, logistics unit…or both?

Aggregation of saleable drug packages to shipping cases and pallets is not required by the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) or the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) or the related Delegated Regulation (EUDR).  But certain business processes in the EU under the FMD will be difficult to accomplish without it, and after November 2023, the operation of the supply chain in the US will not be efficient without it (see “Aggregation: The Achilles’ Heel of Pharma Supply Chain Operation Under A Serialization Regulation”, “EU FMD: Aggregation Is Not Mandated, But It Will Be Necessary” and “Pharma Aggregation: How Companies Are Achieving Perfection Today”).  Absent a mandate, companies need to recognize, themselves, just how vital aggregation is to their businesses and prepare to generate it and/or make use of it.

Continue reading An Aggregation ‘Discussion’ →
Interoperability

Global Regulators Recommend Track & Trace Interoperability Features

Back in the fall of 2017 the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) published a paper containing recommendations for pharmaceutical product regulators around the world to consider for achieving future interoperability of national or market pharma track and trace systems.  That is, their recommendations were aimed at enabling interoperability between and among the various current and future pharma track & trace regulated systems around the globe.  For example, their recommendations could help the US FDA exchange and accept information from the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS), and vice versa.  In this way, regulators in each market could learn about problems with drug products circulating within each other’s markets.  Why would you want to do such a thing?  Let’s take a look at their 2017 paper.

Continue reading Global Regulators Recommend Track & Trace Interoperability Features →
DSCSA, EDDS, Interoperability, PDSA

PDSA’s Proposal for Governance of DSCSA Phase II Interoperability

Independent, balanced, sector-neutral

Last week, the Pharmaceutical Distribution Security Alliance (PDSA) published two papers aimed at kickstarting the creation of a new non-profit organization that would accept the responsibility for setting up and executing governance over Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) phase II interoperability (see “A Serious DSCSA Governance Organizational Proposal Emerges From PDSA”).  PDSA defines “DSCSA phase II” to be the same as what the DSCSA text calls the “Enhanced Drug Distribution Security” (EDDS) phase (see “EDDS: The New Data Exchange Requirements”).  The EDDS phase (err, Phase II of the DSCSA) starts on November 27, 2023.  In most informal conversations this phase is usually just referred to as “2023”. 

Continue reading PDSA’s Proposal for Governance of DSCSA Phase II Interoperability →
Russia

Russia: CRPT Posts Test Methodology For Crypto Code

CRPT, the company authorized to conduct the development, piloting and operation of the Russian government pharmaceutical serialization and tracing system, posted an important document last week.  The document is intended “…to unify the process of testing printing on the packaging of medicinal products of identification features using the verification code and electronic signature with the content in it of a different number of characters and the aggregation process of drug manufacturers to obtain comparable test results and their applicability in the framework of industrial implementation.”  Will it help you? 

Continue reading Russia: CRPT Posts Test Methodology For Crypto Code →
DSCSA

HDA Responds To FDA Waivers, Exceptions, Exemptions Draft Guidance

Unlike the implication of this drawing, FDA does hear and care about submitted comments.

The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) recently posted their response to the latest draft Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) guidance published by the FDA.  That draft guidance explains how, when and why companies in the US pharma supply chain can apply for waivers, exemptions and exceptions to provisions in the DSCSA (see “FDA Draft Guidance: How To Apply For A Waiver, Exception or Exemption”).  As usual, the HDA took close to the full sixty day comment period to respond.  The comment period closed last Monday. Continue reading HDA Responds To FDA Waivers, Exceptions, Exemptions Draft Guidance →

DSCSA, FDA

FDA DSCSA Public Meeting #2, Still A Gulf

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The gulf in expectations and goals exposed in the first FDA Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) Public Meeting back in August (see “FDA DSCSA Public Meeting #1 Exposes Gulf In Goals” and “HDA Schools FDA On DSCSA”) was still visible in the second meeting last week.  There is still one more announced meeting scheduled for February 28, 2018 for the FDA and the industry to align (see “FDA Announces New DSCSA Pilot Program and Public Meeting Series”).  Based on my observations at these first two meetings, I’m not going to hold my breath.  The FDA is likely to announce more meetings in 2018.

The FDA did adjust their position on at least one thing after the August meeting. Continue reading FDA DSCSA Public Meeting #2, Still A Gulf →

DSCSA, HDA

HDA Guidelines For Bar Coding In The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

It has been six years since the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) updated their full barcode guidelines (see “Updated HDMA Bar Code Guidance: A Must Read”).  They just updated it again with major changes over the 2011 version.  The new document is called “HDA Guidelines For Bar Coding In The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain” and it is available on HDA’s website here.  With the passage of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in November of 2013, an update was long overdue.

You are forgiven if you thought the HDA updated the barcode guidelines only one year ago Continue reading HDA Guidelines For Bar Coding In The Pharmaceutical Supply Chain →

FDA

FDA Announces New DSCSA Pilot Program and Public Meeting Series

Yesterday the FDA published a preview of two announcements related to the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).  One was announcing a new pilot program, “…to assist in development of the electronic, interoperable system that will identify and trace certain prescription drugs as these are distributed within the United States.”  That is, the system that will comprise the “Enhanced Drug Distribution Security” (EDDS) system in 2023.  The other announcement was for a series of DSCSA public meetings—also intended to work on the system in 2023.  Both announcements include a docket for use by stakeholders and the public to submit written comments to the FDA. Continue reading FDA Announces New DSCSA Pilot Program and Public Meeting Series →