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Pharmaceutical Serialisation & Track-and-Trace: DSCSA, EU FMD & GoAndTrack

DSCSA enforcement and EU FMD compliance require pharmaceutical logistics to link serialisation data with physical tracking. GoAndTrack bridges the gap between barcode scan events and GPS location — creating the unified audit trail that regulators expect.

DSCSA EU FMD Serialisation

Pharmaceutical serialisation — the unique identifier printed on every prescription medicine pack — has been mandated in the US and EU for several years. The DSCSA (Drug Supply Chain Security Act) and EU Falsified Medicines Directive require that every product unit can be traced through the supply chain. But serialisation data alone — a barcode scan timestamp at a warehouse — doesn't tell regulators where that product was in between scans. GoAndTrack provides the physical location layer that bridges serialisation events with continuous GPS tracking, creating the unified audit trail that enforcement bodies expect.

The Regulatory Framework: DSCSA and EU FMD

US DSCSA

Fully enforced from November 2024

The Drug Supply Chain Security Act mandates product identification (serial number, lot number, expiry date) on every prescription drug package at unit level. Requires transaction history exchange between trading partners and the capability to verify, trace, and investigate suspect or illegitimate products. FDA enforcement now active — wholesalers and 3PLs must provide end-to-end product tracking records on request.

EU FMD / Delegated Regulation 2016/161

Active — national enforcement varying

The Falsified Medicines Directive requires a unique identifier (2D DataMatrix barcode) and tamper-evident seal on all prescription medicines sold in the EU. Authentication at dispensing point against European Medicines Verification System (EMVS). Logistics partners handling serialised products must maintain chain of custody records consistent with the serialisation audit trail.

The gap that both regulations reveal: serialisation systems record when a product was scanned at a defined point (manufacturer, wholesaler, 3PL, pharmacy). They do not record where the product was between those scan events — which is the majority of the product's transit time. A temperature excursion or cold chain breach discovered at a pharmacy could have occurred at any point in the preceding 48-hour journey, but the serialisation record cannot identify where. GoAndTrack's GPS tracking layer fills this gap.

The Serialisation + GPS Audit Trail Architecture

Unified Pharmaceutical Audit Trail: From Manufacturer to Pharmacy

1

Manufacturer Release

Serialised unit (GTIN + serial number) logged in serialisation system. Temperature record initiated. GoAndTrack shipment created with lot number reference linking GPS tracking to serialisation record.

2

In-Transit (GoAndTrack Active)

Tive Solo Pro or Reelables sensor attached to shipment. GPS position, temperature, humidity, and shock recorded continuously. GoAndTrack Mission Control monitors against GDP thresholds. Any excursion: timestamped, geolocated, escalated.

3

Wholesaler Receipt

Product scanned into serialisation system. GoAndTrack journey record linked by timestamp and lot number. Wholesaler receives GoAndTrack temperature certificate alongside DSCSA transaction statement — one PDF covering both compliance requirements.

4

Final Mile to Pharmacy

Last-mile delivery vehicle (GPS-tracked by GoAndTrack) carries serialised product. Delivery event logged by GoAndTrack geofence entry at pharmacy location, timestamped and linked to lot number. Pharmacy scan against EMVS confirms authentication.

5

Investigation Response

If a suspect product is identified at pharmacy, GoAndTrack's full journey record — GPS positions every 60 seconds, temperature readings every 5 minutes, handler transition events — is exportable as a timestamped audit trail. Covers the physical location gap in the serialisation record.

The DSCSA Suspect Product Investigation Challenge When FDA or a trading partner requests an investigation of a suspect product, the DSCSA requirement is to provide product traceability data within two business days. Serialisation systems provide transaction records at scan points. GoAndTrack provides the continuous physical location record between those scan points — including which vehicle carried the product, what route it took, and what conditions it experienced throughout. For logistics partners who have received DSCSA investigation requests, the difference between having this data and not having it is the difference between a successful response and a regulatory action.

AI Queries for Pharmaceutical Serialisation Compliance

"Generate the DSCSA-ready temperature and location report for lot number PH2026-4471."
Produces a timestamped audit trail document showing: GPS position every 60 seconds from manufacturer departure to pharmacy delivery, temperature readings every 5 minutes, any Mission Control alerts with investigation response, handler chain-of-custody (vehicle changes, warehouse dwell events), and digital signature confirming data integrity. Formatted for DSCSA investigation response submission.
"Show me all pharmaceutical shipments in transit today that have exceeded any GDP threshold in the last 24 hours."
Cross-fleet GDP exception report — returns all active pharmaceutical shipments monitored by GoAndTrack with any recorded excursion in the past 24 hours. For each excursion: duration, magnitude, GPS location at time of breach, and whether the lot in question has been delivered (requiring retrospective investigation) or is still in transit (enabling intervention).

Devices for Pharmaceutical Serialisation-Linked Tracking

DeviceGDP ValidatedDSCSA-Ready ReportSerial No. LinkageGoAndTrack Integration
Tive Solo Pro✓ Pharma validated✓ Auto-generated✓ Via shipment record✓ Live API
Reelables 5GGDP-compatible✓ Via GoAndTrack✓ Via shipment record✓ Live API
OnAsset Argo✓ Aviation + pharma✓ Auto-generated✓ Via shipment record✓ API
Frigga (download)Temperature onlyManual import to GoAndTrackVia CSV linkageCSV import
Sensolus (facility)Environmental onlyFacility record only✓ Via facility event✓ Live API
Linking Lot Numbers to GoAndTrack Shipment Records GoAndTrack's shipment records support custom metadata fields — lot number, GTIN, serial number ranges, and regulatory reference numbers can all be attached to a tracking record when the shipment is created. When a DSCSA investigation request arrives for a specific lot number, searching GoAndTrack for that lot number returns the complete GPS and environmental record for every shipment associated with that product. The link between serialisation data and physical tracking is established at shipment creation, not retrospectively.

Key Takeaways

  • DSCSA and EU FMD serialisation records capture scan events at defined points — GoAndTrack provides the continuous GPS and environmental record between those events, filling the physical location gap that serialisation alone cannot answer
  • DSCSA suspect product investigations require traceability data within two business days — GoAndTrack's exportable journey record (GPS + temperature + handler events) is the physical layer evidence that complements the transaction history
  • Lot number linking at shipment creation connects the serialisation world to the GoAndTrack tracking world — a DSCSA investigation query by lot number returns the complete physical tracking record instantly
  • Tive Solo Pro (GDP validated), Reelables 5G, and OnAsset Argo all connect to GoAndTrack and generate DSCSA-ready combined temperature and location reports automatically — eliminating the manual assembly that typically takes hours per investigation
  • The multi-provider architecture is specifically valuable for pharmaceutical logistics: Tive for in-transit cold chain, Sensolus for facility environmental monitoring, GoAndTrack GPS on vehicles — all linked by lot number to create a single audit trail across the full product journey

Complete the Pharmaceutical Audit Trail

Serialisation tells you when. GoAndTrack tells you where — continuously, throughout the journey. DSCSA-ready reports, GDP temperature certificates, and lot-number-linked tracking in one platform.

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