HOUSTON – The opioid epidemic continues to kill Americans at an alarming rate and Houston is not immune.
While a majority of overdoses are from illicit drugs, a concern among many is knowing the medications you receive from pharmacies are safe and secure.
“I really feel like the products that we’re receiving there has already been, it’s already been vetted through that process,” explained pharmacist Omar Serna, owner of Heights Studewood Pharmacy.
Serna said the process starts before the medications make it to the drugstore.
“The Drug Supply Chain Security Act, also known as pharmaceutical tracing to where we can establish a national standard to be able to trace medications down to the lot number that’s being produced at the manufacturing site. And this is just a way to be able to establish that, you know, consumers are not getting any tainted products and illegally obtained products that can essentially cause harm,” explained Serna.
Julie Webb is vice president of quality compliance at Cardinal Health.
“So DSCSA requires pharmaceutical products to be serialized and tracked from the manufacturer all the way through the supply chain to the pharmacy. So we have a robust quality assurance process that starts when we purchase those pharmaceuticals from manufacturers. When we receive it, we are inspecting that product for any visible signs of damage that may occur during transportation or signs of potential tampering,” Webb said.
Webb said the distributor prioritizes security and safety when distributing pharmaceuticals.
“We are proactive at every step we touch in the supply chain from ordering the pharmaceuticals from the manufacturer, replacing the product in the customer’s hands at delivery, where we understand our responsibility and we’re committed to making sure that we get the right product to the right customer at the right time,” Webb explained.
DSCSA was passed in November 2013. The law was scheduled to take effect last month but the FDA adjusted the compliance deadline and extended the enforcement date to November of next year.
The FDA is calling this year a stabilization period and expects all parts of the supply chain to have implemented and be in compliance with the act’s requirements.