Drug Tracing

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The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced that the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) deadline of July 1, 2015 for dispenser requirements related to capturing and maintaining pedigree information will not be enforced until November 1, 2015. This means dispensers have an additional four months to establish a commercially-viable and operational system that can exchange, capture, and maintain product tracing information for certain prescription drugs. Specifically, on July 6, 2015, the FDA issued a notice announcing the availability of guidance for industry entitled “DSCSA Implementation: Product Tracing Requirements for Dispensers – Compliance Policy” (DSCSA Compliance Policy). The guidance arises from the 2013 DSCSA, which added sections 581 and 582 to the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and set forth new definitions and requirements for the tracing of products through the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain. The DSCSA requires trading partners (i.e., manufacturers, wholesale distributors, dispensers, and repackagers) to exchange product tracing information when engaging in transactions involving certain prescription drugs. For dispensers, DSCSA requirements for the tracing of products through the pharmaceutical distribution supply chain went into effect on July 1, 2015.
Continue Reading FDA Helps Dispensers Enjoy the Summer with Generous DSCSA Compliance Policy

This post was written by Kevin M. Madagan.

Time to pop the bubbly a little early! FDA announced today that the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) deadline of January 1, 2015 for product tracing (i.e., the new federal pedigree standards) will not be enforced until May 1, 2015. This means manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and repackagers…

On November 27, 2013, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3204, the “Drug Quality and Security Act” (the “Act”), bipartisan drug distribution security legislation. Among other things, the sweeping measure: clarifies current federal law and regulatory oversight regarding pharmacy compounding; establishes a uniform, national drug tracking and tracing framework; mandates national licensure standards for wholesale distributors and third-party logistics providers; and preempts state product tracing requirements. The following is an overview of the Act and highlights of initial FDA implementation guidance.
Continue Reading Drug Distribution Security Legislation Signed into Law

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved by voice vote H.R. 1919, Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013. H.R. 1919 is a bipartisan bill intended to improve drug distribution security and protect against counterfeit pharmaceuticals. According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), the bill would replace an unworkable patchwork of state laws…

Key members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee have released a bipartisan draft legislative proposal intended to improve drug distribution security. The legislation addresses, among other things: lot-level product tracing requirements for “downstream” pharmaceutical supply chain members (drug manufacturers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, and dispensers); a requirement that manufacturers serialize prescription drugs…