NAFDAC branching out to India

StevenSimske — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:16:00 GMT

Nigeria is working with Interpol and planning to set up 3 offices in India to fight counterfeiting, and specifically allegedly China-produced fakes labelled “Made in India”.

The full article is posted at:

http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Industry-Drivers/NAFDAC-ups-anti-counterfeiting-actions/?c=JiBz%2FX6W896MgKpnW7DU1A%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

and notes: "The battle against counterfeits in Nigeria has been fought by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which is now taking further steps to tackle the problem. NAFDAC’s latest actions are in response to a seizure of counterfeit drugs that are believed to be of Chinese origin but were labelled 'Made in India'. The seized shipment consisted of counterfeit generic anti-malarial drugs."

I spoke to IMANI's Bright Simons (http://www.imanighana.com/bright.html) when he was in the States a couple of weeks ago. This is in direct alignment with his vision for mPedigree. Counterfeit organizations span countries, continents and hemispheres. Agencies effective at reducing the impact of these worldwide counterfeiting organizations must have worldwide span as well. Think GS1. Think ISO. If the scope of your anti-counterfeiting strategy is too small, the same will be true of its effectiveness.

Cheers,

Steve

ePedigree Delay a Sign of An Eventual Supply Chain U.N.?

StevenSimske — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:49:00 GMT

I have been remiss in discussing the delay in the California ePedigree until 2015. This has been interpreted as a long-term delay for track and trace and overall product safety. For a nice overview and analysis of the problem, see http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=17793.

However, ePedigree initiatives are underway by the WHO, FDA, EU, AQSIQ (China), GS1 and other standards/regulatory organizations. A full serialization+pedigree requirement may be delayed until 2015, but it is unlikely that ePedigree will not already be in place before then. Recent passing of PRO-IP and Country-of-origin labeling (COOL) legislation in the US indicates that the US,too, will continue with initiatives before 2015.

The delay of California ePedigree legislation, moreover, may be indicative of another passing of the torch. Much as the recent Presidential (and Congressional) election results likely signal a more collaborative, less "independent" US foreign policy, the delay in ePedigree may signal a more collaborative, less independent nation-to-nation legislation in the future.

Will the big players--WHO, FDA, EU, AQSIQ, GS1, ISO, and others--work together to create a reasonable roadmap for product track and trace, pedigree and provenance? In effect, create a "United Nations" for track and trace? I, for one, hope so. With the increasingly convoluted supply chains for virtually all products resulting in chaos during recall, fraud and even normal node-node shipping situations (how many retailers can confidently tell you everywhere a product has been on its way to their shelves?), how long can it be before the legitimate market says, "enough is enough"? Plus, a universal process will reduce confusion, lower cost, and improve response time around the planet.

Is the current combination of counterfeiting, diversion, factory overrun, smuggling, return fraud and other supply chain crime the commerce equivalent of the two World Wars? A series of events so drastic that the set of collective players decides to band together into a United Nations to try to prevent such a meltdown in the future? (I realize the United Nations is by no means perfect--but we have been without nuclear combat for 63 years...). Maybe so. And maybe the delay in the California ePedigree shows that the US, rather than defining the path forward, is willing to work with the rest of the Supply Chain United Nations in formulating the optimum set of requirements moving forward.

-Steve

Security Printing and Imaging : ISO

NAFDAC branching out to India

ePedigree Delay a Sign of An Eventual Supply Chain U.N.?