A big problem throughout the world is drug counterfeiting. This is a dangerous but lucrative practice that puts millions of lives at risk.
In order to combat this growing issue in the United States and to maintain the safety of the drug distribution chain, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) created the DSCSA. The DSCSA is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act and was signed into law in 2013 by President Barack Obama.
If you work in the pharmaceutical industry then it is very important to understand that this law is critical to safety and success.
So what exactly is the DSCSA and why is it important? These are great questions and we have the answers that you are looking for. So keep on reading and we will take you through everything that you will want to know!
What Is the Drug Supply Chain Security Act?
The State of California back in 2004 took some of the first steps to making prescription medications safe for patients. They used serialization as a way to do this.
In that state, all of the pharmaceutical makers and suppliers were required to serialize individual packages. They also had to give electronic proof of origin for every item that went through the supply stream.
The goal for this initiative was to make it easier to find fake medications and initiate recalls if it was deemed necessary.
This was a fairly successful program in California. Seeing that, the FDA decided to create the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) as a nationwide solution to this problem.
Basically, the law outlines critical requirements towards making a full electronic system for identifying and tracking prescription medications on sale in the United States.
Why Is DSCSA Important for People to Know About?
Whether or not you are ready for the DSCSA, the law is going to come into full effect by the end of 2023. While it might seem like a standard compliance requirement, it can also save the pharmaceutical industry a lot of resources and time.
Thanks to data that is easily accessible, tracking goods across the supply stream will become very easy. This will make the industry more trustworthy and secure and allow for effective distribution.
If you aren’t up to date for DSCSA compliance then you could end up facing fines or even jail time. Your license can also be suspended or revoked.
Understanding the DSCSA
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what the DSCSA is and why it is important to know more about it. As we can see, this law can keep patients and pharmacists safe and it an also lead to a better and more effective industry.
Are you looking for other helpful and interesting articles like this one? If you are then you should definitely check out the rest of our blog today for even more!
Andrea Parker is a reporter for Zobuz. She previously worked at Huffington Post and Vanity Fair. Andrea is based in NYC and covers issues affecting her city. In addition to her severe coffee addiction, she’s a Netflix enthusiast, a red wine drinker, and a voracious reader.
