Anti-falsified meds platform in US reaches 30+ states

A product verification service developed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) in the US has now been rolled out in more than 30 states, according to the organisation.

The Pulse by NABP digital platform, developed to satisfy the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) regulations for pharmaceutical trading partners, includes a module known as the Pulse Verification Service (PVS) that can be used to spot suspected falsified medicines in the pharmacy supply chain.

When a product is scanned, the user receives a near-real-time response from the manufacturer or repackager that denotes whether the product identifier is verified or not verified, or if there is an error that requires additional analysis.

Earlier this year, a falsified copy of Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 agonist Ozempic (semaglutide) – which is indicated for the treatment of diabetes but has become sought-after as a weight-loss therapy – was detected in Arkansas thanks to the smartphone-based Pulse PVS software.

As a result, the Arkansas Board of Pharmacy launched an investigation of the seller, held an emergency hearing, and suspended their license. Meanwhile, in Ohio, the system has been used to identify counterfeit products like fillers, botulinum injections for aesthetic uses, and local anaesthetics at spas and wellness clinics.

In a recent blog post, Jenni Wai, chief pharmacist of the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, explained how the technology has helped speed up monitoring of the pharmacy supply chain for suspect products.

"Prior to Pulse PVS, I often had to manually contact the manufacturer and try to get to the right person to conduct a product verification. This process is very time-consuming, and they must verify my credentials to safely provide the information," she said.

"With Pulse PVS, all parties can be assured that the right person is conducting the verification and that the platform will provide timely results in compliance with the law. Ultimately, we can promptly stop the illegitimate product from being used."

The system – which launched in mid-2023 – was originally developed by tech company Chronicled, which developed it as part of its MediLedger platform, used for data alignment and transaction settlement between pharma manufacturers, wholesalers, purchasing organisations, and health systems.