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As a pharmaceutical manufacturer, you know that complying with DSCSA 2023 is important for your own operations. However, as you roll out your strategy for implementing a fully interoperable system for sharing EPCIS data, it’s equally important to keep your wholesaler and retail pharmacy trading partners in mind as well.
Wholesalers and retail pharmacies are going through a similar DSCSA compliance journey, and have their own requirements and expectations. Devising a rollout that works for everyone is key to not only getting compliant but also maintaining healthy business relationships with your critical downstream business partners.
Henry Schein Medical and H-E-B Pharmacy joined TraceLink in our recent webinar, “Wholesaler & Retail Pharmacy Supplier Requirements for DSCSA,” to give their thoughts based on their DSCSA compliance journey. This webinar gives manufacturers insight into how wholesalers and retail pharmacies are thinking about DSCSA compliance and what they expect from manufacturers.
Some of the key takeaways for manufacturers include:
- Non-compliance is not an option. Wholesalers and retail pharmacies won’t buy from non-compliant manufacturers—it jeopardizes the safety of their patients and customers and is a major source of disruption to both supply chain operations and business revenue.
- Get started sooner rather than later. Sending EPCIS data isn’t like sending ASNs—onboarding a manufacturer can take a few weeks to complete and your downstream trading partners need to allocate their IT resources carefully to avoid disrupting other parts of their operations. Plus, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to sharing this data, so starting early ensures you have time to correct bugs and hit your operational stride well before the November 2023 deadline.
- Have everything you need for a smooth handoff. This includes complete master data, a list of saleable unit GTINs, company, and location GLN and SGLNs, etc. Your sales shipment messages should contain a commissioning event and vocabulary list. You should also be testing your connectivity with your solution provider before you start sending any real data.
Working with an experienced solution provider like TraceLink can make the process of implementing a fully interoperable system for EPCIS data exchange dramatically easier.
“What sets TraceLink apart is the overall strategy for connectivity within the industry,” said Leon Nevers, Director of Procurement and Business Development, H-E-B Pharmacy. “Remember, efficiency is key. The fact that [TraceLink] already knows the suppliers and can facilitate a quick connection was huge for us.”
Interested in learning more about DSCSA 2023 from a panel of subject matter experts and your industry peers? Sign up for the webinar series today—check out the track for manufacturers and distributors.
You can also watch the on-demand recording to learn more about DSCSA requirements and necessary capabilities and how TraceLink helps you address them. In addition to Leon Nevers, you’ll also hear from our friends Ashley DeFlice, Paul Wilkinson, and Kim D’Arcy at Henry Schein.
