Packaging: Serialization Ready?

The US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) officially went into effect last November, and the European Union’s Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) goes into effect in February 2019. While these regulations will help to ensure the integrity of drug products sold in their respective markets, preparing to comply with the laws has been a challenge for pharmaceutical companies and contract manufacturers and packagers.

To minimize potential disruptions to the US prescription drug supply, the FDA announced last summer that it would delay DSCSA enforcement until November 2018¹. On March 12, the European Medicines Verification Organization (EMVO), which operates the European hub, where pharmaceutical companies must report serialization data under the FMD, announced that 500 of the approximately 2,500 pharmaceutical companies in the EU had begun the onboarding process². While encouraged by the milestone, the EMVO noted in the announcement that the onboarding figures were “still far behind schedule.” Recently, Tablets & Capsules spoke with several industry professionals about how well-prepared pharmaceutical companies and CMOs are to comply with DSCSA and FMD serialization requirements.

With less than a year remaining before companies must comply with DSCSA and FMD serialization requirements, how are pharmaceutical companies and CMOs progressing?

Staffan Widengren, director of corporate projects, Recipharm:

I would say the industry is prepared but not to the extent that it should be. A lot of brand owners are not ready. Some companies may be underestimating the workload, and some may not have the financial means to invest in serialization. I think they know that if they’re going to do this they need to invest and if they don’t do it now, it will be too late, because the lead time for equipment is 8 or 9 months. Also, some CMOs may not continue to package and will contract packaging and serialization out to an external company.

Dexter Tjoa, director of corporate strategy, Tjoapack:

I think the general consensus is that the industry is progressing very slowly. There are still quite a few companies struggling to figure out what exactly they have to do to comply with the US or European regulations or both. Most companies have made some sort of move and have set up a serialization program, but I think the general state of readiness is behind schedule.

John Duffin, president, Clarke Solutions:

Most of the industry is progressing well and is ready for the initial requirements of unique identification at the unit of sale, but for the 2022 and 2023 aggregation requirements in the US, there is still much work to be done. Larger CMOs and CPOs are either ready or nearly ready, but there are some smaller manufacturers that are still identifying and implementing systems with very little room for error to meet the deadlines.

Are there aspects of serialization that companies tend to overlook or underestimate?

Duffin:

We see many companies underestimating the overall impact the changes have to their manufacturing operations. The new systems require extensive training and revisions to current processes. A new mindset is required now that every product on the line is unique. Tjoa: I think when the legislation was announced, companies said, “Okay, we just need to print something on the box.” A lot of companies focused on the machinery on the shop floor and how to install a printer on the line, etc. The biggest challenge of serialization is actually the data-management aspect, which many companies have overlooked or put off until further down the line. Software service providers have brought out solutions, so companies can buy the software, but they also need to design their processes around the fact that sharing data is now going to be part of how things have to run. I think companies are struggling with that aspect and may have underestimated the additional IT work that goes along with serialization.

Jean-Marie Aulnette, vice president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa sales, TraceLink:

My biggest worry is that companies are waiting until the last minute and underestimating the amount of time it will take to implement. Implementing new hardware can take up to 16 months, so a CMO that still needs to invest in a new line system won’t have time. Also, the accelerating pace of companies seeking software solutions is beginning to create issues for providers in meeting the demand, which may cause delays.

Widengren:

Some companies maybe don’t fully understand the purpose of serialization. For example, a company may request that we send the serial numbers to them in an email or an Excel file, which would make it quite easy for an unauthorized person to access the numbers and use them on the black market.

How have serialization requirements affected pharma outsourcing? Are a greater percentage of pharma companies choosing outsourcing versus in-house production?

Aulnette:

I think so. In France, for example, a relatively large number of pharmaceutical companies have historically manufactured their own products. In the last five years or so, many of these companies have sold their production facilities to outsourcing organizations. While this is part of a larger trend toward more virtual pharma companies and isn’t entirely due to serialization, the added complexity and costs of packaging are likely a contributing factor. The costs of complying with these regulations may also lead to consolidation in the CMO/ CPO market, where smaller contractors may merge with or be bought by larger CMOs.

Duffin:

It has definitely created opportunity for companies that are able to effectively serialize products. The increased complexity and the level of investment required have many companies evaluating outsourcing and more easily justifying the investment. In what ways can brand owners and/or patients benefit from serialization requirements beyond compliance and improved product safety?

Aulnette:

The increased connectivity and access to data provided by serialization should result in better health outcomes for patients in the future, but it may be 5 or 10 years before we begin to see these improvements. Also, digitalization of the supply chain will help standardize communication between brand owners and CMOs, which will create efficiencies such as increased visibility of inventory and faster payments.

Widengren:

If the system works according to plan, the patient can be assured that the product is real. For the supply chain, there will also be other benefits. For example, in the case of a recall, the company can actually identify the unit or units with the defect, so the recall will be easier, and the company won’t necessarily have to recall the whole batch. Determining these benefits beyond compliance is something that’s on our agenda now. How can we utilize the data? How will it benefit our customers? How will it benefit us? Analyzing the data is not free, however, and may require us to invest in additional systems, so we need to prepare a business justification showing what added value the investment will provide.

Duffin:

The technology available and required to meet the standards opens up a myriad of benefits to both brand owners and patients, allowing a more direct connection. Traditionally, brand owners are separated from the consumer by a complex supply chain that makes it difficult to truly understand the patient and consumer market. With serialization, we’ll start to see connected apps that allow the consumer to scan a package and review the product’s entire life cycle, including where ingredients were sourced, where the product was manufactured, current product warnings and indications, rebate offers, and many other options that are just starting to be developed.

Tjoa:

In Europe, the legislation is really based on a point-of-dispense verification system that’s all about reducing counterfeit medicine in the supply chain. It’s not so much aimed at tracing a drug product as it flows from the manufacturer downstream to the patient. I do think that the infrastructure in Europe is being built for such tracking, so once products start going to market with serial numbers, I think aggregating those serial numbers to shipment levels either on a shipping container or pallet or both will follow shortly after simply because of the potential logistical benefits. In the US, looking forward to 2023 is where it gets interesting for patients. Drug dispensers can drastically reduce waste if they give patients the exact number of tablets they need and each of those tablets is uniquely identified and not just half a blister or half a box loose in a bag. I know there’s some talk about integrating this data into a mobile app, so the patient can scan the barcode on the box to get additional information.

That may be beneficial for more specialized drugs but wouldn’t be particularly helpful for a product such as ibuprofen. It may encourage a move toward electronic information leaflets, which would obviously reduce paper use in the pharma supply chain. In the short term, however, companies will realize logistical benefits that could benefit patients in terms of the cost of production. There is still quite a lot of room for improvement in the pharma the data to the next partner in the chain. There are variations on reporting throughout the world, so I think for manufacturers that is the major challenge. The main challenge for CMOs is connecting with all of their market authorization holders. For example, we work with about 50 market authorization holders. If market authorization holder A uses one type of software and market authorization holder B uses another, we need to configure our software so that we can seamlessly send and receive data with both of them.

Duffin:

This is a significant challenge for both brand owners and CMOs. To meet and keep up with changing requirements, companies have had to create entire departments that monitor and manage the requirements including how each requirement is met with current software. They also need to quickly assess whether changes in requirements can be met with their existing systems, because revisions are lengthy and could take a manufacturer out of a market completely.

What are the industry’s biggest remaining challenges with respect to serialization?

Duffin:

The biggest challenge is integration and communication throughout the entire supply chain. A drug product generally goes through three parties— manufacturer, wholesaler, and pharmacy—before reaching the consumer, and not necessarily at the unit-ofsale level. Wholesalers, repackagers, and pharmacies break down the unit of sale depending on dosage and overall consumer needs. Tracing back to the unit of sale may still be a challenge, especially before 2023 when aggregation is required.

Tjoa:

The challenge for contractors is twofold: At the site level, there are line implementations and validations and software implementations and validations. Then at the company level, there is the external part of communicating and making an IT connection with customers, validating that connection, and doing any trial serialization runs where applicable. Also, contractors are largely dependent on their customers for any kind of artwork changes, etc. Pharmaceutical companies often have multiple contract service providers to manage, so they face similar challenges but the other way around. That can be very complex. In other industries, such as the semiconductor or automotive industries, it’s much more common to talk regularly with your closest suppliers. In pharma manufacturing that’s still not as common, so this type of across-the-supply-chain collaboration is still quite a new experience. It’s shaken some things loose within the pharmaceutical world, where companies are asking, “How do we engage with our suppliers? How can we leverage their expertise instead of just buying a service from them?” I think this improved communication between supply chain partners can only lead to better collaboration and ultimately a more efficient supply chain that, at the end of the day, will benefit patients.

Jean-Marie Aulnette is vice president of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) sales at TraceLink. He has more than 20 years of experience in international sales and is responsible for building and leading the company’s EMEA business. His main focus at TraceLink is to deliver track-and-trace solutions across EMEA pharmaceutical markets to ensure visibility, traceability, and compliance throughout the supply chain. Jean-Marie joined TraceLink in 2014 and holds a master’s degree in business from Centre d’Etudes Supérieures en Management International (CESMI) Groupe ISG.

Dexter Tjoa is director of corporate strategy at Tjoapack. He is responsible for devising, implementing, and evaluating the company’s mid- to long-term strategies and services, as well as overseeing the commercial, finance, and IT departments within Tjoapack. He has been with the company for two years, during which time he launched Meditraq, one of Tjoapack’s sister brands which offers contract serialization services. He holds a BSc in mathematics from the University of London and a MSc in mathematics and computer science from the University of Oxford and has previously worked in the technology sector.

Staffan Widengren is director of corporate projects at Recipharm. He is program manager for the Recipharm global serialization project and part of a global steering committee that is working closely with Recipharm’s clients to ensure that they plan and implement changes that comply with pending regulatory requirements for drug serialization.

Dexter Tjoa is director of corporate strategy at Tjoapack. He is responsible for devising, implementing, and evaluating the company’s mid- to long-term strategies and services, as well as overseeing the commercial, finance, and IT departments within Tjoapack. He has been with the company for two years, during which time he launched Meditraq, one of Tjoapack’s sister brands which offers contract serialization services. He holds a BSc in mathematics from the University of London and a MSc in mathematics and computer science from the University of Oxford and has previously worked in the technology sector.

Staffan Widengren is director of corporate projects at Recipharm. He is program manager for the Recipharm global serialization project and part of a global steering committee that is working closely with Recipharm’s clients to ensure that they plan and implement changes that comply with pending regulatory requirements for drug serialization.

John Duffin is President at Clarke Solutions and Acquire Automation, managing and directing business strategy and operations. Additionally, he sits on the board of The Clarke Companies, majority stakeholder for both corporations. John has spent his entire career with The Clarke Companies, providing leadership and experience within engineering, operations, sales and marketing. His combination of technical and managerial background enables him to understand and support Clarke’s clients by providing not just a service, but effective solutions.

References 

1. https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/Guidance ComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/ UCM565272.pdf 

2. https://emvo-medicines.eu/news/announcement -500-participation-agreements-signed/ 

Clarke Solutions, Fishers, IN 317 849 0330 www.solutionsbyclarke.com 

Recipharm, Stockholm, Sweden +46 8 602 52 00 www.recipharm.com 

Tjoapack, Etten-Leur, the Netherlands +31 88 9871 100 www.tjoapack.com 

TraceLink, North Reading, MA 781 914 4900 www.tracelink.com