Pharmaceutical Distribution Security Alliance Applauds IOM Call for a National Supply Chain Solution

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pharmaceutical Distribution Security Alliance (PDSA), a coalition of more than 25 pharmacies, distributors, logistics operators, manufacturers, and associations committed to strengthening the nation’s pharmaceutical distribution supply chain, issued the following statement responding to the recent Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) report, Countering the Problem of Falsified and Substandard Drugs:

“The Pharmaceutical Distribution Security Alliance (PDSA) applauds the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for recognizing that new legislation is needed to protect all Americans from the threat of counterfeit drugs. PDSA is particularly pleased that the IOM recognized that the supply chain can only be as strong as its weakest link and that a national solution is a necessary safeguard. As the IOM report noted, to prevent fake drugs from ending up in patients’ hands, Congress should pass legislation that creates a national system for drug distribution security.

“A state-by-state patchwork approach leaves the entire supply chain vulnerable to bad actors able to seek out states with weaker laws and regulations, placing patients at risk. The PDSA strongly supports a uniform, national standard to trace products throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain and believes such a solution should use standardized technologies and be implemented in a scalable and cost-effective manner.

“Congress made significant strides toward implementing a single, national and uniform pharmaceutical distribution supply chain solution last year but time ran out. The IOM’s recommendations following yet another FDA warning last week that more counterfeit cancer drugs had infiltrated the U.S. supply chain should spur Congress to pick up the bipartisan effort where it left off and promptly enact a single, uniform and national pharmaceutical distribution supply chain solution. The PDSA looks forward to working with all stakeholders, including the FDA, to achieve this goal.