This week I am posting one of my favorite essays from last fall because at this moment, I am in the middle of moving my home and office from one side of the Chicago metro area to the other to be closer to our kids. Also at this moment, the FDA is almost eight months late in publishing the grandfathering guidance that was mandated by the DSCSA. Here it is again.
Regulations often make use of a concept known as “grandfathering” to soften a given deadline so that it is easier for companies to meet. When allowed, grandfathering allows a company to continue doing something after a regulatory deadline that mandates a change, as long as one or more pre-conditions apply. For example, Section 582(a)(5)(B) of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) allows wholesale distributors, and repackagers to sell drugs that were already within the supply chain on January 1, 2015 without passing the necessary transaction data. This makes sense because companies were not obligated to supply that data before that date and so some of the assertions required in the Transaction Statement would not be true (among other problems that grandfathering eliminates). [Of course, Continue reading Will Manufacturers Be Able To Grandfather Products In Their DC And 3PL?→
Drawing from the GS1 Healthcare GTIN Allocation Rules document showing how to assign GTINs in multi-pack scenarios. Click image to enlarge.
The U.S. Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requires manufacturers and repackagers to place DSCSA-specific “product identifiers” on all drug packages and homogeneous cases by November 27, 2017 (2018 for repackagers). These product identifiers must include a Standardized Numeric Identifier (SNI), which is composed of the drugs National Drug Code (NDC) and a unique serial number (for more on DSCSA “product identifiers”, see “The DSCSA Product Identifier On Drug Packages“, for more on the SNI, see “FDA Aligns with GS1 SGTIN For SNDC“, and for more on the NDC, see “Anatomy Of The National Drug Code“).
The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) recently updated their “HDMA Qs and As on the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)” to version 2.0. This is a very well thought through document that will help companies understand how wholesale distributors are interpreting confusing or ambiguous sections of the law. The document leans heavily toward questions about how wholesale distributors will need to react in various situations, but it will also be a resource that manufacturers, repackagers and dispensers will want to obtain and review. What is really needed is for someone to do the same kind of analysis for questions that mainly affect those other supply chain entities. Continue reading InBrief: HDMA Updates DSCSA Q&A→
I have been outspoken on the question of whether or not the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requires companies in the supply chain to provide their customers with serial number-based aggregation data prior to 2023. In my view, it does not, but others disagree, saying that there are requirements in the law that lead to the need for aggregation data during that time. I do not agree with that either. If you would like to review those arguments and find out exactly what “aggregation data” is, here is a list of RxTrace essays you should read:
…a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between healthcare supply chains, track and trace technology, standards and global regulatory compliance
DISCLAIMER: RxTrace contains some of the personal thoughts, ideas and opinions of Dirk Rodgers. The material contained in RxTrace is not legal advice. Dirk Rodgers is not a lawyer. The reader must make their own decisions about the accuracy of the opinions expressed in RxTrace. Readers are encouraged to consult their own legal counsel and trading partners before taking any actions based on information found in RxTrace. RxTrace is not a vehicle for communicating the positions of any company, organization or individual other than Dirk Rodgers.