On Friday, 26th July, the FDA, FTFA member USP, and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) announced the launch of the new web-based version of APEC’s Supply Chain Security (SCS) Toolkit, an essential resource designed to enhance the quality and security of medical products across the global supply chain.
Securing the global medical product supply chain is a complex task that requires collaboration between regulatory bodies, industry stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and international organizations. For that reason, the APEC SCS Toolkit was developed and is maintained through the combined efforts of all of these stakeholders from across the 21 APEC economies and around the globe. This collaborative approach ensures that the toolkit addresses the diverse challenges that arise throughout the global medical product supply chain. Over the years, members of the International Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Consortium, Rx-360, have been involved in its development and evolution.
The SCS Toolkit provides resources and best practices to enhance the quality and security of medical products through their entire lifecycle. It includes prevention, detection, and response strategies to address vulnerabilities in the supply chain and combat substandard and falsified medical products.
Training materials within the toolkit are designed to educate regulators, industry professionals, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders involved in various aspects of the supply chain. These materials cover essential topics such as good manufacturing practices, product security, and surveillance and monitoring, empowering stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary to strengthen and uphold supply chain security.
Deploying and utilizing the SCS Toolkit can strengthen laws and regulations, promote the adoption of best practices, and enhance supply chain resilience globally. By leveraging the toolkit, stakeholders can proactively prevent, detect, and respond to incidents involving substandard and falsified medical products, contributing to a more resilient and secure global medical product supply chain.
The toolkit can be accessed directly at: https://www.usp.org/apec-supply-chain-security-toolkit
