AmerisourceBergen Corporation Wins HDMA’S Distribution Management Award for Centralizing DSCSA Data and Serialization Requirements

AmerisourceBergen Corporation was named the winner of HDMA’s 2016 Distribution Management Award for centralizing its data for Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) compliance, as well as to prepare for long-term serialization requirements.

The award, presented at the 2016 Distribution Management Conference and Expo in San Antonio, recognizes HDMA-member companies’ efforts to improve healthcare supply chain efficiency and safety through creative and successful trading partner initiatives. The winner and finalists were selected by the distributor and manufacturer members of HDMA’s Industry Relations Council.

“As a leader in global healthcare solutions, AmerisourceBergen is dedicated to ensuring reliable and secure product access for patients.  We are thrilled to offer an industry solution that both streamlines and strengthens the healthcare supply chain,” said Heather Zenk, VP, Global Secure Supply Chain, AmerisourceBergen. “It is an honor to receive this HDMA award in recognition of our industry partnership and innovative approach to meeting DSCSA requirements.”

On January 1, 2015, the DSCSA required supply chain stakeholders (at various deadlines) to receive and transmit the Transaction Information, Transaction History and Transaction Statement among trading partners across the supply chain. To comply with these requirements, and avoid burdening its upstream and downstream trading partners, AmerisourceBergen created a single, central data depository that serves all of its subsidiaries.

AmerisourceBergen customized a tool to create a single source of transactional data for all of the company’s external trading partners, leveraging existing Advance Ship Notices to simplify inbound transactions from manufacturers and synthesizing the data for dispenser/downstream customers. The solution also allowed the flexibility for AmerisourceBergen’s businesses to continue operating their own enterprise resource planning systems. This minimized local supply chain disruptions, while allowing easy access to the necessary (and consistent) DSCSA transactional data. Not only did this solution create internal cost efficiencies, but it enabled the company to engage with manufacturers on further serialization requirements.

Additionally, AmerisourceBergen served as a thought leader and collaborated extensively with each segment of the supply chain to create this DSCSA solution, including manufacturer and distributor working groups, as well as HDMA, GS1 and other industry coalitions.   

“Implementing the DSCSA is an unprecedented collaborative effort that will transform the pharmaceutical supply chain for the ultimate benefit of the patient,” said Perry Fri, Executive Vice President of Industry Relations, Membership and Education. “HDMA is pleased to recognize AmerisourceBergen’s forward-thinking, cooperative effort to meet the requirements of this landmark law.”

In addition to AmerisourceBergen, a partnership between Cardinal Health, Inc., and Sonoco ThermoSafe was recognized in the Merit Finalist category. Together, the companies established an innovative, sustainable, cost-saving, bulk cold chain pallet shipper/delivery system in 2015. 

Further information about the Distribution Management Award can be found on the HDMA website.

ABOUT HDMA
HDMA is the national association representing primary healthcare distributors, the vital link between the nation’s pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers. Each business day, HDMA member companies ensure that over 15 million prescription medicines and healthcare products are delivered safely and efficiently to more than 200,000 pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics and others nationwide. HDMA and its members work daily to provide value and achieve cost savings, an estimated $42 billion each year to our nation’s healthcare system.