ARLINGTON, Va. — The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) will convene pharmaceutical supply chain industry leaders at its Traceability Seminar, October 17 to 19 in Washington, D.C. The 2018 seminar will educate attendees about where the pharmaceutical supply chain is in relation to achieving full implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) in 2023; what to expect in the future as the industry approaches the final deadline; and available resources, tools and guidance on a range of traceability topics.

“For more than 15 years — from the advocacy stage through today — HDA has been a trusted partner for pharmaceutical traceability education,” said HDA executive vice president of industry relations, membership and education, Perry Fri. “Through our expertise, HDA is continuing to provide the pharmaceutical supply chain with opportunities, like the Traceability Seminar, to meet with a diverse group of professionals and DSCSA experts to share ideas, discuss important topics, seek out guidance and work toward common implementation goals.”

The program will feature a DSCSA update from the Ilisa B.G. Bernstein, deputy director, office of compliance, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A dispenser panel comprising experts from the retail/pharmacy community will discuss challenges and strategies to ensure implementation in 2023. HDA also will provide a progress update on industry efforts to build a Verification Router Service (VRS) network to comply with the 2019 saleable returns requirement.

As a new addition to the seminar agenda in 2018, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in interactive, workshop-style sessions on the final day. During this time, attendees will discuss DSCSA-related challenges with peers and gather ideas for implementation under the guidance of industry experts.

Finally, the seminar will feature the results of the HDA Research Foundation’s annual Serialization Readiness Survey. The survey measures the expected percentage of serialized product that will be in the supply chain when the FDA’s enforcement discretion for manufacturers and the DSCSA deadline for repackagers ends in November.

A full agenda, registration information and participating sponsors can be found on the HDA website.