D-Rex Pharmacy

What Is Traceability In Pharmacy?

• Tony Dean
• 05.09.2022
• 0
• 63

Taking a glance back in order to move forward. The best way to help us look forward is sometimes to look back, just as it was the best way to help us look forward when any previous historically significant movement occurred. As a result of Congress passing the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in November 2013, a number of firms all throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain have been required to adjust their practices in order to comply with the new regulations.

“What the pharmaceutical industry is focusing on right now is the next major U.S. milestone, which is November of 2017, where the manufacturers are required to put a serial number with the GS1 DataMatrix,” said Peter Sturtevant, GS1 US Senior Director, Pharmaceuticals. “This milestone is sometimes referred to as a 2D barcode,” he added.

“This is what the pharmaceutical industry is focusing on right now.” The implementation of unit-level traceability is not anticipated to take place until November of 2023 at the earliest. Even while it would appear to be a considerable amount of time, seven years is actually not nearly enough time to implement all of the new technologies, procedures, and data management systems that will be required.

1. You can trace backwards to identify the history of the transfers and locations of a product, from the point of manufacture onwards, and you can track forwards to see the intended route of the product towards the point of care.
2. GS1 US defines traceability (in healthcare) as the process that “enables you to see the movement of prescription drugs or medical devices across the supply chain.” “Information about the products and their journey—from inception to the patient” is what is meant by “traceability.” Traceability is information about the products and their journey—from inception to the patient.

According to GS1 US, there are four types of events that should be kept in mind when monitoring the movements and whereabouts of products in the supply chain. These events are as follows:

1. Which kinds of goods are affected?
2. When did the event that was timestamped take place?
3. Where exactly was the product located? Where is it at this time?
4. Why was this noted, and at what stage of the process was it made?

According to Sturtevant, “the FDA is going to allow the industry to develop the procedures, processes, and activities to meet the requirements that were defined in the act that became law in 2013.” “For the most part,” he explained, “the FDA is going to allow the industry to develop the procedures, processes, and activities.” “They are not going to impose their will on how we get to the ultimate result.

What is traceability in Dscsa?

DSCSA 2023: six major criteria – To this point, the DSCSA has been primarily concerned with lot-level traceability, which refers to the process of exchanging information about each individual package of medication so that stakeholders in the supply chain can know exactly where it has gone.

Why is traceability important in GMP?

The most important thing to remember is that traceability is defined by Tracelink’s Vice President of Industry Marketing, Brian Daledien, as “the information about the items and their path — from inception to the patient.” The visibility of the supply chain is increased, quality control systems are improved, and the danger of selling counterfeit medication is reduced thanks to traceability in the pharmaceutical business.

What is Track & Trace system?

What exactly is meant by the term “track and trace”? – A track and trace system is a software-based solution that allows for the tracking of trucks, loading units, shipments, or goods all the way through the supply chain, from the source to the customer.

What is serialization in pharma?

The rules and regulations for pharmaceutical serialization state that pharma serialization must be accomplished by affixing a one-of-a-kind product identification or serial number to the outside of each box or case containing a medicinal product. Manufacturers of pharmaceuticals, repackagers, wholesale distributors, and dispensers are all required to comply with the serialization standards in the United States.

1. A product identification must be affixed to each individual package of prescription medication, as well as each homogenous case of prescription drug product or repackaged drug product, according to the regulations that are in place at this time for manufacturers and repackagers.
2. To serialize pharmaceutical items, countries such as the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland employ a Data Matrix, often known as a 2D barcode.

This barcode contains the product identity in addition to additional data. The regulations of the DSCSA require that all participants in the US drug supply chain, including contract manufacturers and third-party logistics providers, exchange compliance documentation (Transaction Information, Transaction History, and Transaction Statement) with their trading partners and store the information and serialization data in a location that is easily accessible for a period of at least six years from the date of the transaction.

• This regulation applies to all participants in the supply chain, including contract manufacturers.
• Each participant in the pharmaceutical supply chain is responsible for putting in place the necessary systems and procedures to ensure the authenticity of the paperwork they receive and, upon request, the product identifiers of any items that may be in question.

The European Union (EU) has criteria for the serialization of pharmaceuticals, and one of those requirements is that product authentication must be performed at the point of administration. There are currently compliance regulations in place for pharmaceutical serialization, track and trace, and product authentication in over 36 countries, including Egypt and Russia.

What is meant by traceability?

The capacity to track all processes, from the acquisition of raw materials to manufacturing, consumption, and disposal, is what we mean when we talk about traceability. This allows us to answer questions like “when and where the product was made by whom.” In recent years, there has been an increase in both the overall quality of products as well as overall awareness of the need to take precautions, which has led to an increase in the importance of traceability.

What is unit level traceability?

What Does It Mean to Have Traceability Down to the Unit Level (ULT)? – There is a possibility that new hazards, some of which are concealed, may emerge as a result of the ongoing transformations that are being made in the supply chain of today to satisfy the consumer demand for the availability of goods, convenience, and speed.

For instance, the sale of counterfeit products amounts for more than 3.3% of the worldwide market today, resulting in losses of up to 50 billion dollars. In addition, keeping a “farm-to-fork” continuity in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business has become an increasingly tough task in recent years.

Because of this, the possibility of problems with public health originating from the management of supply chains is always increasing in significance. Last but not least, vulnerable industries including agriculture, healthcare, and beauty are experiencing financial losses and image damages as a result of items that have been counterfeited or misdirected.

1. Unit-Level Traceability, or ULT for short, is a system that has been specifically created to incorporate several different kinds of integrated technologies.
2. These technologies include NFC labels, environmental sensors, geolocators, and blockchain records, among others.
3. UTL solutions enable an organization to retain an unrivaled level of control over each step of the supply chain when they are implemented via tamper-proof systems and smart packaging respectively.

In particular, the primary focus of ULT systems is on the delivery of increased control over supply as well as the products and components utilized in the production of the final product. UTL systems give supply chain managers the ability to do the following things, and this ranges from the lowest-tier suppliers to the highest-level retailers: Keep an eye on every supply and product as they make their way through the supply chain.

What is the purpose of traceability?

What exactly does “traceability” mean when it comes to product development? The capacity to officially identify the source, motivation, and links between engineering objects is referred to as traceability. In addition to that, it is one of the most important strategies for reducing the ever-increasing complexity of product development.

What is importance of traceability?

Why is it vital to have traceability? – As a result of the intense rivalry that exists on a worldwide scale, manufacturing organizations are compelled to consistently improve their levels of efficiency and production while simultaneously cutting their expenses in order to retain or improve their profitability.

1. The confidence of consumers is quickly emerging as the most valuable commodity across all markets.
2. In order to accomplish this goal, businesses need to be in a position to consistently guarantee the quality of their products.
3. Software solutions for traceability provide an excellent instrument for the quality management of an organization.

It is not uncommon for customers to demand them in the context of audits, and in certain sectors, compliance with the law may even be mandatory. Complex manufacturing and supply chains, which include a wide variety of products and a number of different suppliers for clients, are the standard in today’s increasingly globalized world.

1. Because of this, there are additional obstacles to overcome in terms of ensuring accurate traceability and preventing errors in manufacturing.
2. Therefore, traceability is quickly becoming an increasingly important strategic success component, particularly for Romanian enterprises.
3. These businesses are in competition with other regions for associated interrelated productions, therefore they must be able to differentiate themselves.

Product recalls are the first thing that comes to most people’s minds whenever the term “traceability” is spoken. In point of fact, improved recall management is one of the primary advantages that can be gained by using traceability solutions. Product recalls must have traceability if they are to be conducted rapidly, effectively, and at a lower cost.

Having the appropriate solution in place may guarantee that faulty or hazardous items are rapidly found and removed, protecting the safety of the end user in the process and helping to avert product recalls that would otherwise be unnecessary. Organizations may avert catastrophe and get access to a plethora of additional benefits by putting in place traceability systems that have been thoughtfully built.

Control of Quality: The high degree of control that traceability affords over the manufacturing process encourages granular quality control, which has shown to be important in a number of industries, including the automotive, food production, and military industries.

• Fight against counterfeiting: Manufacturers are able to verify the authenticity of their product by implementing traceability solutions such as direct component marking and barcodes.
• This helps them combat the practice of counterfeiting.
• Because it increases exposure and hence visibility of the brand, traceability protects both the end user and the brand, making it more difficult for counterfeits to be made.

Efficiency in operations: Systems that provide full traceability make it possible for businesses to improve their production procedures, which in turn helps them to increase their efficiency and use less resources than they would otherwise. Satisfaction of Customers: Businesses that have robust traceability systems have better control over the manufacturing process and are better equipped to adopt improvements that help them present higher-quality products that comprehensively meet the requirements of their customers.

What is the importance of track and trace?

Track & Trace helps to automatically track production data, which in turn helps to ensure that the process conforms with rules. Managing the flow of materials is made easier with Track & Trace. Before beginning the process of production, it is helpful to have comprehensive knowledge on the availability of necessary resources.

• This makes the workflow easier to manage.
• Specifically, recording the precise number, position, and condition of raw materials and appliances helps prevent unforeseen events that might cause production line disruptions.
• Examples of such instances are the supply shortfall, poor quality of raw materials, and other similar occurrences.

If the organization deals with perishable items, then using Track & Trace will guarantee that those supplies are used first, hence reducing the risk of waste and expense to the business. Track and Trace is responsible for managing the flow of materials.

What are track and trace solutions?

The valuation of the worldwide market for track and trace solutions was $2,034.9 million in 2019, and it is anticipated that it will reach $6,120.8 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 14.6% from 2020 to 2027. Track and trace (T&T) systems enable healthcare corporations or organizations to more efficiently monitor their supply chains and reduce the dangers posed by fake medications.

• It is the method through which both the present and previous locations of a medication are determined.
• A rise in the use of advanced track and trace solutions, positive intervention from the government, and severe laws and standards for the implementation of serialization are some of the factors that are impacting the growth of the market.

Pharmaceutical businesses are anticipating the enactment of legislation on the anti-counterfeiting and worldwide traceability of pharmaceuticals. Across the world, several national governments have made the decision to put serialization legislation into effect.

• There has been an increase in the number of regulations that need to be complied with regarding serialization, making this a priority issue for pharmaceutical makers and supply chain partners.
• The visibility of the supply chain is also being worked on, as well as the problem of drugs being counterfeited, which makes it difficult to trace returns or recalls.

For instance, according to data that was published in 2018 by Makro Care, which is an organization that provides clinical and regulatory services, more than forty countries and more than seventy-five percent of the world’s supply of pharmaceutical drugs were covered by one or more serialization track and trace regulations.

• On the other hand, putting in place systems for product identification requires a significant financial investment (ground infrastructure).
• In developing nations like China and India, the government does not offer the necessary ground infrastructure, such as satellite, to enable businesses to implement real-time tracking technologies.

Because these high cost setups are sometimes not possible for low cost items, it is projected that this would be a restraint on the growth of the track and trace solutions market throughout the course of the forecast year. The market for track and trace solutions may be broken down into the categories of hardware systems and software solutions, depending on the type of goods being sold.

• Printing and marking solutions, monitoring and verification solutions, labeling solutions, and other types of solutions are further subdivided within the market for hardware systems.
• The market for software solutions may be further segmented into plant management software, line controller software, software for tracking bundles, and software for other uses.

Due to its increasing adoption in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies to continuously manage manufacturing facilities, product lines, case, and bundle tracking, as well as warehousing and shipping, the software solutions segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR during the forecast period.

• Barcode and radio-frequency identification are the two main categories used to divide the track and trace solutions market according to their respective technologies (RFID).
• It is projected that the RFID sector would present a significant market outlook over the next few years as a result of the growth in use of RFID technology in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as hospitals.

These applications are for inventory control, tracking equipment and employees, preventing the distribution of counterfeit medications and medical devices, detecting when a patient gets out of bed (OOB), and detecting when a patient falls. The market for track and trace solutions may be broken down into two different categories: aggregation solutions and serialization solutions, depending on the application they are designed for.

1. The serialization solutions market has been further segmented into the following submarkets: data matrix serialization, bottle serialization, label serialization, and carton serialization.
2. Bundle aggregation, case aggregation, and pallet aggregation are the sub-segments that fall under the umbrella of the aggregate solutions segment.

According to the parent-child concept, aggregation gives healthcare enterprises and organizations the ability to track their goods all the way back to the production process. This is one factor that is nourishing the market growth of the aggregation solutions sector.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, and other types of businesses make up the majority of the end user segment of the worldwide track and trace solutions market. In 2019, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses section was the most dominant, and it is anticipated that this would be the case for the duration of the research period.

This is because there has been an increase in the amount of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, particularly in developing nations. Additionally, there are severe rules in place for pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses, which is another factor contributing to this issue.

What is a trace service?

Service trace is a kind of optional trace that is offered in IBM® App Connect Enterprise. It offers more information than the entries that are recorded to the Event Log or the entries that are supplied by user trace. By default, the service trace feature is not active; in order to turn it on, you will need to provide a specific command.

What is SAP in pharma?

SAP ( SYSTEMS, APPLICATIONS, PRODUCTS IN DATA PROCESSING ) IN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY.

What does Ich stand for?

ICH E3 is a guideline for the industry that outlines the format and contents of clinical study reports (PDF – 240KB) This document from the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) provides guidelines for the material that has to be contained in a core clinical research report of an individual trial of any therapeutic, preventive, or diagnostic agent carried out on human subjects.

The purpose of the guideline is to provide assistance to sponsors in the development of a report that is comprehensive, clear of any ambiguity, effectively organized, and simple to examine. Questions & Answers Regarding the ICH E3 (PDF – 141KB) Ethnic Factors in the Acceptability of Foreign Clinical Data is the Topic Covered by ICH E5 (PDF – 89KB) This document from the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) provides recommendations for strategies that would make it possible for clinical data collected in one region to be used to support drug and biologic registrations in another region while also taking into account the impact of ethnic factors.

Questions and Answers Regarding the ICH E5 (PDF – 48KB) Good Clinical Practice: Consolidated Guidance was developed under ICH E6 (R2- Integrated Addendum) (PDF – 484 KB) Good Clinical Practice, often known as GCP, is an ethical and scientific quality standard that is used all over the world in the planning, execution, recording, and reporting of clinical studies that include human participants.

1. Compliance with Good Clinical Practice standards ensures that the rights, safety, and well-being of trial subjects are respected, as well as the credibility of the data gathered from clinical trials.
2. This advice from the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) offers a consistent standard for the United States of America, the European Union, and Japan in order to ease the mutual acceptance of clinical data by the regulatory authorities in those three countries.

Questions and Answers Regarding Geriatrics from the ICH E7 Working Group on Studies in Support of Special Populations These advice on particular considerations that apply in the design and conduct of clinical trials of drugs that are projected to have considerable usage in the elderly are provided by the ICH guidance document.

1. The purpose of this question and answer (Q&A) document is to shed light on significant matters.
2. Choice of Control Group and Related Issues in Clinical Trials, which is Known as ICH E10 (PDF – 93KB) This guidance from the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) addresses the choice of control group in clinical trials.

It discusses the five primary types of controls, two important purposes of clinical trials, and the question of whether or not a trial could have detected a difference between treatments when there actually was a difference (assay sensitivity). ICH Question 9: Management of Quality Risk (PDF – 113KB) The objective of this publication is to present a methodical approach to the management of quality risks.

• It serves as a foundation or resource document that is independent of other ICH Quality documents but supports them nonetheless.
• Additionally, it complements the quality practices, requirements, standards, and guidelines that are already in place within the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory environment.

It provides specific guidance on the principles and some of the tools of quality risk management, which can enable regulators and industry to make more effective and consistent risk-based decisions regarding the quality of drug substances and drug products throughout the product lifecycle.

1. These decisions can be made in relation to the entire product lifecycle.
2. It is not the intention of this to set any additional expectations that go beyond the criteria that are already in place.
3. Good Clinical Practice is referred to as VICH GL9 (PDF – 64KB) The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide for the planning and execution of clinical trials using veterinary products in the species that will be the focus of such investigations.

It is aimed at all individuals and organizations involved in the design, conduct, monitoring, recording, auditing, analysis, and reporting of clinical studies in target species. Its purpose is to ensure that such studies are conducted and documented in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice.

It is directed at all individuals and organizations involved in these activities (GCP). The term “Good Clinical Practice” refers to a set of guidelines that have been developed with the intention of serving as an international scientific quality standard for the planning, execution, monitoring, recording, auditing, and reporting of clinical trials that evaluate veterinary goods.

This guidance was developed in accordance with the principles of the International Cooperation on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH), and it will provide a unified standard for the European Union (EU), Japan, and the United States of America (USA) in order to facilitate the mutual acceptance of clinical data by the relevant regulatory authorities in all three of those countries.

What is difference between aggregation and serialization?

Should You Make the Decision to Implement Aggregation in Your Company – Your company will profit from aggregation, but so will other parties involved in your distribution chain, such as third-party logistics providers and distributors. Aggregation offers major advantages to all of these parties.

In point of fact, aggregation will be good to you, but it will likely be even more favorable to the other participants in your distribution chain. After that, you will need to take into consideration the fact that aggregation adds complexity to your serialization solution, which in turn drives up the cost.

This calls for a cost-benefit analysis that is tailored specifically to the requirements of your company. Even if you make the decision not to use aggregation in your system, the one thing you must make sure to avoid doing is ignoring it.

What is the purpose of DSCSA?

Purpose The Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA) was responsible for the passage of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in November of 2013. The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) was enacted in order to improve the safety of the drug distribution supply chain.

1. This was accomplished by introducing new controls, such as a national pharmaceutical track and trace system, and establishing national standards for the licensing of wholesale distributors of prescription drugs and third-party logistics providers (3PLs).
2. Impact The DSCSA mandates that all trade partners, including producers, repackagers, wholesale distributors, and dispensers, must report transaction information to future purchasers of specific prescription medications.

According to the DSCSA, these over-the-counter and prescription medications are considered completed pharmaceuticals designed for human consumption. The information on the transaction must be kept for a period of at least six years and can be given either on paper or in an electronic format.

• The act also mandates that trading partners can only work with third-party logistics providers (commonly known as 3PLs) that have finished submitting all of the documents necessary to be considered authorized by the FDA.
• Implementation The implementation of the DSCSA will take place in phases over the period of ten years.

The DSCSA Standards for the Interoperable Exchange of Information for Tracing of Certain Human, Finished, and Prescription Drugs: How to Exchange Product Tracing Information was a guideline paper that was published in November of 2014 and was one of the initial steps in this process.

1. The guideline specifies how information should be transferred between parties within the pharmaceutical supply chain and establishes January 2015 as the date when trading partners are required to begin providing product tracing information to their subsequent customers.
2. In December of 2014, the FDA issued a follow-up guidance document titled “DSCSA Implementation: Annual Reporting by Prescription Drug Wholesale Distributors and Third-Party Logistics Providers.” This advice explains in detail how wholesalers and 3PLs should disclose DSCSA information to the FDA on an annual basis and gives those instructions.

The DSCSA mandates that third-party logistics providers, or 3PLs, must either possess a valid license in each state to and from which they deliver medications or get a license directly from the FDA. At this time, only California and Florida have licensing schemes for third-party logistics providers (3PLs).

1. Furthermore, any state license is rendered obsolete by the recent FDA permission for 3PLs.
2. Reporting The Food and Drug Administration mandates that all third-party logistics providers submit an initial report by the end of March 2015, and that report must include the following information for each of its locations: the name of the firm exactly as it appears on the license, as well as any and all trade names that have been used in the course of business; the address of the facility; licensing information for each state, as well as the state license number.

In addition, the FDA requests that the following information be provided along with the initial report: the name of a contact person who can interact with the FDA; an email address; a phone number; a unique facility identifier (a Dunn & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number); the expiration date for the license; significant disciplinary actions taken by any state or federal agency in the 12 months prior to the initial report; the state where these actions took place; the date of the final action, disciplinary action, Moving forward, the submission deadline for these reports will always be on March 31.

They will be used by the FDA to develop a public database that contains information on permitted third-party logistics providers in the United States. In addition to these criteria for reporting, the FDA intends to clarify further standards for third-party logistics providers to gain and keep their authorisation by November of 2015.

Marken, the only Clinical Logistics Organization in the industry, has completed all documents necessary and requested by the FDA and is in compliance with the DSCSA. As soon as the FDA publishes the final version of the regulations, Marken will make any necessary revisions.

1. Compliance Since the DSCSA’s creation, the regulatory professionals working for Marken have been paying careful attention to its development.
2. According to Reynaldo Roman, Senior Manager of Regulatory Compliance at Marken, “We have watched the implementation process to ensure that we comply with all regulations and requests that have been made by the FDA.” “We realize the importance of the DSCSA and how important it is to our clients, the industry, and its stakeholders,” says Roman.

“As a result, we take care to comprehend the DSCSA’s regulations and to comply with them.” The expert regulatory team at Marken is always monitoring the latest changes in the legislation governing all industries. We are able to offer direction about DSCSA compliance as well as the filing of transaction information.

Marken will continue to be informed and be prepared to comply with additions and modifications to rules when they are issued as the DSCSA implementation plan continues to roll out and expand over the coming few years. Marken is able to provide third party logistics services across the United States because to its extensive industry experience and compliance with FDA regulations.

Send an email to [email protected] if you want further information on how we can help facilitate the distribution of your drugs. Return to the Index

What does DSCSA stand for?

Notify the FDA of Any Products That Are Fake After finding that a product is fraudulent, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer, the repackager, the wholesale distributor, and the dispenser to inform the FDA within twenty-four hours. Register your email address to get updates on the Drug Supply Chain Security Act.

1. On November 27, 2013, Congress passed a law called the Drug Quality and Security Act, also known as the DQSA.
2. Title II of the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA), also known as the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA), outlines the steps that need to be taken to achieve interoperable, electronic tracing of products at the package level in order to identify and trace certain prescription drugs as they are distributed in the United States.

This will improve the FDA’s capacity to assist in protecting consumers from the potential dangers of being exposed to pharmaceuticals that may be fake, stolen, tainted, or hazardous in some other way. These measures will also enhance the detection of potentially harmful pharmaceuticals and the removal of those substances from the drug supply chain, which will safeguard consumers in the United States.