A few months ago the FDA opened two “dockets”, or Requests for Comments (RFC) to collect ideas and experiences about technology pilots related to the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). The first docket was associated with the FDA Public Meeting held on April 5 and 6 (see “The 2016 FDA Pilots Workshop”). The second docket was opened shortly after the Public Meeting to continue collecting the same kind of information from anyone who had already conducted their own pilots or was planning future pilots. Both dockets are now closed so here is a look at the responses. Continue reading HDMA Responds To FDA Pilots RFC
Tag Archives: serialization
DSCSA: Kit, Repack, Combo Product, or Just A ‘Collection’?
Medical convenience kits are exempt from the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). But be careful. Just because you and your customers have called your product “a kit” for years doesn’t mean that Congress and the FDA call it that under the DSCSA. In fact, many products that have historically been referred to as “medical convenience kits” will be treated under the DSCSA as a repackaged drug, a combination product, or worse, just a collection of device(s) and drug(s). Let’s take a closer look. Continue reading DSCSA: Kit, Repack, Combo Product, or Just A ‘Collection’?
Is A GS1 GTIN Really Usable As An NDC For DSCSA Compliance? Part 2
Part 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
Sponsored: The 2016 RxTrace U.S. Pharma Traceability Survey, Sponsored by Frequentz, Final Report
The 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.
Take 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
HDMA DMC Serves Sizzling Steak With A Small Side Of Snake Oil
According to the HDMA, their Distribution Management Conference and Expo in San Antonio last week broke the attendance record at more than 500 attendees, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out why the number wasn’t double that amount. When you compare the value you receive by attending this (or any) HDMA event with what you receive from any third-party event, well, there isn’t any comparison. HDMA serves sizzling steak to their soggy puffed rice. The reason is not just the quality of the speakers. In fact, as “speakers”, they really aren’t any better at speaking than any other group of people, but it is who they are and what they know that makes the difference. And just as important, who else is in the audience that makes these events so special. It’s not just what is going on in the sessions, but it is who you meet and what you learn in the hallways and networking breaks between sessions. I’ve said this before (see “Terminology: Track and Trace, and Pedigree”). Continue reading HDMA DMC Serves Sizzling Steak With A Small Side Of Snake Oil
Drug Verification: EU Vs US
Drug verification is at the heart of most pharma serialization regulations. It is the point at which someone in the supply chain or a patient uses the unique identifier on the drug package to determine that the drug is probably authentic, or definitely is not. We can tell a lot about the intent of a given serialization regulation by looking at the specific language that determines by whom and when a unique identifier must be verified. Continue reading Drug Verification: EU Vs US
Meeting U.S. and E.U. Drug Serialization Requirements With A Single Solution
As serialization mandates sweep the world you would think that drug manufacturers and repackagers would just deploy one generic “serialization application” and simply turn it on for any drugs that requires it, and turn it off for any that do not. That’s probably what the legislatures and regulators who create the requirements think. RxTrace readers know it’s not nearly that easy.
The problem is that every regulation requires something different. The only common thread is that there is always a “serial number” requirement in there somewhere (thus the name). But the serial number itself is usually defined differently and everything else that surrounds the serial number is often not the same. It’s not a matter of just turning it on and off, it’s a matter of changing a bunch of parameters, which result in significantly more complexity in the setup, testing and validation of the system for each market. Continue reading Meeting U.S. and E.U. Drug Serialization Requirements With A Single Solution
The E.C. Officially Published The Pharma Safety Feature Delegated Act This Morning
With the official publication of the European Union Delegated Act (EUDA), the clock starts for pharmaceutical manufacturers who supply drugs for the E. U. market to include two safety features on their drug packages. One safety feature is some type of tamper evident seal, and the other is a “unique identifier”, also known as “serialisation” (see “The ‘Unique Identifier’ in the EU Delegated Act“). Continue reading The E.C. Officially Published The Pharma Safety Feature Delegated Act This Morning
