GSMS uses IBM technology for drug supply chain in California
Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. is a contract manufacturer and third party logistics provider licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy to sell pharmaceuticals. The company along with IBM has announced that the two companies have worked together to help drug companies comply with stringent prescription drug pedigree regulations in advance of state and federal mandates.
With the use of IBM technology, GSMS can now act in accordance with the new electronic pedigree regulations that are emerging in other states and countries and also comply with California law which will take effect in 2015. With IBM, GSMS is now offering pedigree compliance services to pharmaceutical manufacturers seeking a quick and proven way of addressing regulations taking effect in California and around the world.
This pioneering work with GSMS has helped overcome supply chain problems faced by small to mid-size pharmaceutical companies by creating an effective electronic pedigree program. New improvements in technology, lower costs, as well as new industry standards for sharing and analyzing information are making it possible for drug companies of any size to ensure their drugs are authentic — while enabling the use of smart technology to track movement of drugs from the manufacturing floor to the pharmacy.
An electronic pedigree is an electronic record which contains all the records and information all the steps taken by a pharmaceutical as it moves from the manufacturer, to wholesalers, and finally, to pharmacies or hospitals. California has mandated that these pedigrees be maintained in an interoperable electronic system so that all participants in the drug supply chain can access the electronic records.
IBM’s WebSphere Premises Server software gathers and transmits to IBM’s InfoSphere Traceability Server serialized drug pedigree information. This allows GSMS to manage and share information with trading partners to authenticate pharmaceuticals. The software is compliant with both GS1/EPCglobal’s Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS) standard, and its Drug Pedigree Standard. The software has added advantage of being able to address business needs such as chargeback resolution, targeted recall and expiration management.
“The pharmaceutical industry giants won’t have a problem complying with the California regulations, but many smaller players in the industry don’t have the resources to do it on their own,” said Jim Stroud, president and CEO, Golden State Medical Supply, Inc.
“However, our company has been serializing at the saleable unit and RFID tagging at the case level since February of this year. The system IBM built for us will not only benefit GSMS, but also small and mid-sized drug manufacturers around the world,” he added.
“Now is the time for the pharmaceutical industry to inject technology into their operations to make the drugs we take safer,” said Katherine Holland, general manager, global life sciences, IBM. “The key to a smarter, safer drug supply is the use of a unique serial number on every bottle of medicine. Using IBM technology, GSMS can help drug manufacturers around the world address the growing threat of counterfeit drugs.”
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