With all of the medical issues facing Americans these days, doctors and pharmacists have stepped up to the challenge. But they are not the only ones working furiously to help the sick and injured. After a doctor has prescribed treatment for a patient, a lot happens before that patient receives that prescription from the pharmacist. And everything involved in that process in that in between is part of a track and trace serialisation that ensures the quality and authenticity of each and every drug.
What are epedigree solutions?
Each and every drug, from its manufacturing point to the pharma packaging to the shipping and final receiving in the patient’s hands, is documented by way of an electronic document known as an epedigree. Epedigree solutions allow one view of all the necessary information authenticating the drug: the product and the order, and each change of custody throughout the supply chain to its final destination. With about 48.5% of Americans having used one or more prescription drugs in the last month, it is crucial that the right drugs get to the right people. Companies transporting drugs without this detailed information will likely be fined high fees and find themselves in legal trouble.
How do pharmaceutical packaging companies work with epedigree solutions?
Packaging medical supplies and drugs has its own regulations, but also must be documented in the epedigree that accompanies its drug along the journey. Packaging services offer several different options when it comes to how the medicine is ultimately safely presented. One popular form of packaging for many types of pills is blister packaging, which you would recognize as a plastic, pre-formed package that you can tear individually wrapped pills from, or pop them out without separating the packaging from the other pills. These can also be manufactured with child safety features, just as many pill bottles can, so that only adults can open them. Bottles can also be packaged to include a print-out of a bar code identifier, which aids in both the packaging and the trace and track process needed for the epedigree.
Just over 75% of all medical visits entail some sort of drug therapy. The health, and often the lives, of numerous patients rely on the correct type and dosage of the drug prescribed by their doctor. With an unfortunate number of decoy drug companies and corrupt individuals dispensing altered, placebo, or outright fake medicine, the track and trace of the real thing is even more important than ever.
