Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition becomes an arm of HDA

The Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition (PCSC) has been an all-volunteer effort bringing together industry security and logistics managers, the logistics providers themselves, and members of local, state and federal law enforcement. Now, with the retirement of its founder and hypernetworked leader, Chuck Forsaith, from his corporate position at Purdue Pharma, the Healthcare Distribution Alliance has stepped in to keep it going. Forsaith is continuing as leader and taking on a role as a senior director at HDA.

“I am thrilled that I have been offered an opportunity to operate the PCSC on a full-time basis within HDA — one of the industry’s leading advocates for supply chain security,” said Forsaith in a statement. “This partnership will bring immense value to the HDA membership, coalition members and the industry."

PCSC started in 2006 during a spate of truck and warehouse thefts of pharmaceuticals, most notably the multimillion-dollar burglary of an Eli Lilly warehouse in 2010. Forsaith, who had prior experience as a state police officer, organized a meeting bringing the stakeholders together, and runs an informal information link that alerts law enforcement offices of incidents, while providing useful networking information to cargo security managers. For the past few years he has run an annual meeting that attracts several hundred participants, usually held in the mid-Atlantic region.

HDA didn’t release any information on how PCSC is to go forward, saying only that its involvement will “expand membership offerings” for the organization. The change will go into effect in January.