An Industry White Paper:
Pedigree Requirements for Prescription Drugs
On June 9, 2006, the FDA issued a statement indicating that it is moving forward on its initiative to establish a nationwide, mandatory tracking system for prescription drugs. Some form of this program has been in existence since the signing of the Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) on April 22, 1988. This act set forth the goal of curbing the ever-growing problem of the distribution and sale of counterfeit drugs by requiring distributors to provide documentation (or “pedigree”) of the chain of custody of drug products throughout the distribution system. The implementation of this program, however, was significantly delayed due to concerns expressed by the forerunners in the prescription drug wholesale industry, and in an effort to allow members of the industry to develop the technology necessary to implement an electronic pedigree. Yet, because of the “increasingly sophisticated threats from drug counterfeiters,” the FDA has decided to officially lift the hold on implementation of the PDMA, and has stated that the program will go into effect in December, 2006. In the meantime, members of the drug wholesaling industry and the FDA Counterfeit Drug Task Force are encouraged to submit opinions or concerns relating to the pending legislation.

CLS MedTurn has compiled a white paper that examines the PDMA, the development of electronic pedigrees, and the impact of these regulations on state legislation. Click here for your copy of the full paper.

“FDA Announces New Measures to Protect Americans from Counterfeit Drugs,” June 9, 2006, www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01386.html.

“Statement of Randall W. Lutter, Ph.D. before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources,” July 11, 2006, www.fda.gov/ola/2006/counterfiet0711.html.

CLS MedTurn Expands Field Service Coverage
A rise in retail prescriptions parallels a new trend for more severe pharmacist shortage levels, leaving pharmacists and technicians stretched to service customer needs and little to no time to manage returns.

To assist our clients with better resources to lessen administrative time at the pharmacy, CLS MedTurn’s field technician group has been consolidated with their sister company, Carolina Supply Chain Services (CSCS) field services team. CSCS is the supply chain analysis division of CLS, MedTurn’s parent company. This phased transition began in May 2006 and completed into a fully integrated team in August. The results have been a larger resource pool and quicker turnaround for returns inventory requests.

CSCS’ Field Services Team has been performing national studies since 1985. Their management team has over 100+ years combined experience in performing and managing various inventory and product integrity studies throughout the supply chain. The typical background of a Field Analyst is college graduate, management and supply chain experience. All are trained on hazardous material handling and controls shipping as well as 222 form on-site administration. Most have handled thousands of supply chain audits where they monitor for product integrity.

This new expanded team provides several benefits to our on-site customers. These include:

• National Geographic Coverage- Regardless of where our Field Analysts are located, our focus is national coverage. Recently we added staff in key coverage areas of Indianapolis, IN and Phoenix, AR. Click here for the map of locations.

• Improved Response Time- Clients have two options to establish returns & inventory management programs.

1. Pre-established schedules that are adjusted to meet time and volume requirements

2. Flexible On-call service as needed

• Centralized scheduling for on call/emergency services- The CSCS Field Analysts are located around the country providing various supply chain studies. In the case of an emergency or a call in request, we are able to redeploy our teams to meet client requests in a timely and cost effective manner through the use of our centralized scheduling programs.

• Consistent automated processes & reporting- All supply chain studies and inventory management programs are operated from a single platform. For customers with a national presence, this ensures consistency in your reporting and procedures for all locations.

“The combination of the expertise of both field teams allows us to better meet the needs of our healthcare and pharmaceutical clients, said Rob Small, Director of Field Services. The added resources in team members, technology and experience expand our inventory and returns management programs allowing our Pharmacy Clients to spend more quality time with their customers.”

Click here for an overview of our On-Site Returns Management and Inventory Services. For more information on the On-Site Inventory and Returns Management Services, please contact your Business Development Manager.

CLS MedTurn International Hires New Managing Director for Canadian Operation
Greg Gauthier has joined MedTurn International in Toronto Canada as Managing Director. In this capacity Greg is responsible for the overall operational, sales and administrative functions.

Greg brings us over twenty years of experience in the healthcare industry including positions with Baxter Corporation, Bard Canada, Alaris Medical Systems, Siemens Medical, and most recently as Vice President with AmerisourceBergen Corp in Valley Forge, PA.  Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, Greg opened and helped build AmerisourceBergen’s first facility outside the US and in Canada.

Please join us in welcoming Greg to the CLS family.

CLS MedTurn Upgrades Web Security for
Ft. Worth Netlink Users
CLS MedTurn is committed to providing our clients with the most current, state-of the-art technology. As part of this on-going commitment, CLS MedTurn will be implementing a new login security policy during the month of November. This will ensure that our clients have the most advanced web security for our NetLink applications.

While the security is behind the scenes, one visible change is that you will now be required to change your password every 90 days. For those retail stores that utilize the on-line store inventory program, there will be no changes to their password. Our goal was to provide maximum security with no disruptions to retail stores.

More details about the specific dates for implementation will be emailed to NetLink users.

CLS will continue to research and implement new technology to enable us to provide solutions that help our clients protect, grow, manage and innovate their business.

If you have additional questions about the login security policy, please contact your Business Development Manager or Sean McCarthy.

Need Help With a Reverse Logistics Challenge?
If so, contact us and let us work with you to develop a solution that best fits your needs. Contact Jennifer Mauldin or Sharon Joyner-Payne.