Cancer Care Centers seek ePedigree counterfeiting protection
Written By: Brian Daleiden
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Interesting little article
popped up today by San Antonio TV station KENS 5 that discussed how the
Cancer Care Centers of South Texas are using E-Pedigree for drug
counterfeiting protection. CCS uses an ePedigree-based online tracking
system to help caregivers validate the authenticity of pharmaceuticals
prior to their delivery or dispensation to patients. The ePedigree
system helps create a secure chain of custody as a drug moves along the
supply chain while providing a quick snapshot of this chain of custody
at any time via a browser-based portal available at point of
dispensation. For cancer drugs, providing traceability through this kind
of anti-counterfeit barrier has been particularly important to
establish as the high value and demand of these pharmaceuticals make
them noted targets for counterfeiters.
Unlike many stories of these types, it was the human element of this
story that caught my eye. Often, the human side of the equation gets
lost when talking about anti-counterfeiting technologies and supply
chain traceability initiatives. The bits, bytes, system integration and
other business issues typically come to the foreground instead. Perhaps
this is understandable given everyone has a business to run and drug
track and trace systems can be likened to an insurance policy against
counterfeiting, diversion, theft, etc. Thus, a poignant comment made by
an oncologist in the story tended to stand out to me: “It’s very
important for patients to feel that where they are getting treated,
they’re actually getting what’s prescribed for them because it’s a
matter of life and death,” explained oncologist Dr. Anu Dham. “It’s
cancer treatment.”
I also have more than a casual interest in a story like this as CCS is
affiliated with US Oncology, a leading cancer treatment and research
network. US Oncology has been a long standing customer of TraceLink /
SupplyScape and we have worked closely with USO to assist them in
building out their portal-based online drug tracking system. I haven't
had the opportunity to visit one of USO's clinics in the past like
several of my colleagues here have. So, little stories like these are
particularly nice when they give you a little snapshot of those fighting
the good fight "from the field".
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