USA – Industry guidance aims to help manufacturers adhere to bar coding requirements

The Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) on Monday issued a guide to help the pharmaceutical industry in formatting and placing bar code labels on their products to comply with Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements for tracking products through the supply chain.

DSCSA was signed into law in November 2013 and outlines the necessary steps necessary to build and electronic, interoperable system to identify and trace prescription drugs distributed in the US to ward off drug counterfeiting.

The law specifies that manufacturers affix a product identifier to each package and case that moves through the supply chain. Such identifiers must include the National Drug Code (NDC), serial number, lot number and expiration date. These product identifiers must be embedded in linear barcodes and affixed to each product and to homogeneous case of products…