Preparing for DSCSA Deadlines

In a video interview with Pharma Commerce, Jody Hatcher, CEO of Morris & Dickson and chair of HDA’s board of directors, outlines his vision for the future of the organization and the key priorities he hopes to drive during his tenure. He expresses a strong sense of privilege and responsibility in succeeding Kirk Kaminsky and looks forward to collaborating closely with Debbie Weitzman of Cardinal Health to strengthen connections across the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Hatcher emphasizes the often-overlooked value that distributors bring to the healthcare ecosystem. Representing more than 1,200 manufacturers and serving around 330,000 pharmacies and care providers, he describes distributors as being part of an "irreplaceable network" that plays a vital, behind-the-scenes role in ensuring the availability of medications and healthcare products across the country.

He outlines three main priorities for his leadership. First, he aims to enhance engagement within the distribution community—bringing together pharmacies, manufacturers, and distributors around their shared mission. Second, he highlights the critical importance of implementing the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) across the supply chain. With an extension recently granted, Hatcher underscores the need to meet the updated deadlines to maintain the reliability and integrity of the distribution network.

Lastly, he stresses the importance of storytelling—articulating the value and sophistication of the distribution sector to external audiences. He notes that while distributors are often discussed in various contexts, it's essential to clearly communicate their indispensable role in maintaining a secure and efficient healthcare supply chain.

Overall, Hatcher's vision centers on strengthening collaboration, ensuring compliance, and raising awareness of the distribution sector’s critical contributions.

Hatcher also comments on his day-to-day workflow at Morris & Dickson, including how it supports the efficiency and reliability of the company’s operations; steps that should be taken to ensure DSCSA compliance; types of implications that the potential 25% tariffs on pharmaceuticals can cause; and much more.

A transcript of his conversation with PC can be found below.

PC: With the DSCSA implementation deadlines for pharma supply chain stakeholders fast approaching, what steps should be taken to ensure compliance? Are there any technological or operational adjustments that can help?

Hatcher: DSCSA is a mission-critical priority for every member of HDA. We've had work groups that have had daily and weekly meetings around the HDA table, and HDA has been working deliberately with the FDA on the traceability issues for probably two decades.

At the end of the day, DSCSA fundamentally means that we want to ensure the safe and effective implementation for our customers and for the products that they buy from us. Obviously, the most critical deadline is May 27, when pharmaceutical manufacturers and the repackagers need to meet the criteria in terms of the data at the package level, or have their waivers or exemptions in place, so it's important. It's an important indicator of readiness, not only for the manufacturers, but also for distributors and dispensers, and then for the distributors, for all of us, by Aug. 27, 2025, we've got to be able to receive and trace product from the manufacturers and provide data to our dispensers. We've got to receive and provide EPCIS data at the product unit level. This requires review of processes, such as the practices for returns—which is complicated—product quarantines, testing, and communication.

At the end of the day, I think the message here for all constituents is this has to be a priority, and it involves the technology you've deployed, it involves your systems. I think for all of us, it's really just a shift in the way we work. Our intent, our aim here at Morrison & Dixon, and I think with the rest of HDA, is to make sure that DSCSA is fully integrated into what we do. It's just not optional. And again, I'd like to hope that everybody involved with implementation feels the exact same way.