A variety of hot issues in the pharmaceutical industry are
out there to tackle. But a big one that will continue to see a great deal of
discussion, proposals and change in 2012 is the integrity of drugs and medical
devices. Anti-counterfeiting, quality control, and security have traditionally
been major priorities in this industry. A major part of this effort is track and
trace, or an industry-wide effort to capture the pedigree of a drug or medical
device from its production onward. Track and trace operations help reduce
counterfeiting and other similar issues.
Track and trace initiatives are already making headlines this
year in the US. According to the Pharma Times Online, new
standards for track and trace in imports, anti-counterfeiting & anti-theft
operations, and new best practices are the four main areas are being
championed by the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP).
While there are still disagreements about which standards and
best practices are the right ones in this industry, the USP points out there are
incentives for companies to come to an agreement. 2012 will be a key year in
moving these proposals to becoming the standard for safer products in this
industry.
For
more on what to expect in the pharmaceutical and medical products industry in
2012, see this list of priorities for the year written by experts at
Tompkins.
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Jim Tompkins
Photo Credit: John Pavelka