When pharmaceutical products enter the reverse supply chain, processing the return is only one part of the responsibility.
Reverse distribution requires regulated products to be securely managed from receipt through final disposition. Depending on the product, that can involve controlled substance requirements, manufacturer return policies, credit reconciliation, documentation, storage and destruction.
Healthcare organizations need confidence in how each of those responsibilities is managed, particularly once the product has left their direct control.
That makes the standards behind a reverse distribution operation an important consideration when evaluating a partner. Processing capabilities, service levels and credit recovery matter, but so do the controls, expertise and oversight supporting the operation.
Independent validation can provide additional insight into those standards.
What happens after a product leaves your facility matters
Healthcare organizations typically have significant controls governing pharmaceutical products while they are within their facilities. Those controls do not become less important when a product is designated for return.
The responsibility for managing the product shifts to the reverse distributor.
From that point forward, the reverse distributor needs processes for receiving, identifying, securing, documenting and ultimately dispositioning the product appropriately. Controlled substances require additional safeguards and oversight. Accurate records and clear accountability are essential throughout the process.
Much of this work happens outside the customer's direct view. As a result, evaluating a reverse distributor means understanding not only the services being offered, but also how the operation supporting those services is managed.
The role of independent validation
A strong reverse distribution operation should have its own compliance infrastructure, including regulatory expertise, documented procedures, employee training, security protocols, technology, governance and operational controls.
Independent accreditation adds an external perspective.
Rather than relying solely on a provider's description of its own practices, accreditation evaluates operations against established third-party standards. For healthcare organizations conducting due diligence, that provides another way to assess the rigor behind a reverse distribution program.
Accreditation does not replace a customer's own evaluation of a partner. It can, however, provide additional evidence that the processes and controls supporting the operation have been independently assessed.
NABP accreditation and Inmar's reverse distribution operations
Inmar Rx Solutions’ pharmaceutical reverse distribution operation is accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).
NABP accreditation provides independent recognition of the standards supporting Inmar's approach to compliance, security, accountability, traceability and operational excellence within our reverse distribution operations.
Those standards are supported by continued investment in the people, processes and technology behind Inmar Rx Returns. This includes regulatory expertise, security and operational controls, reporting and processes that support appropriate pharmaceutical product handling and disposition.
For customers, accreditation provides another level of confidence in the operation receiving and managing their pharmaceutical products.
The standard has to keep pace with the industry
Accreditation is important, but pharmaceutical compliance does not stand still.
Regulations change. Manufacturer requirements evolve. New technologies create opportunities to improve traceability, security and visibility. Operational risks change as well.
A reverse distribution operation has to respond to those changes.
That requires ongoing review of procedures and controls, continued investment in technology and security, and regulatory expertise that can translate changing requirements into operational practice.
For Inmar, NABP accreditation is independent recognition of the standards supporting our reverse distribution operations. Maintaining those standards requires continued attention and investment.
Healthcare organizations should expect that level of discipline from a partner handling regulated pharmaceutical products.
The return itself is only one part of reverse distribution. What matters just as much is the operation behind it and the standards applied to the product until its final disposition.
Learn more about Inmar’s approach to pharmaceutical reverse distribution and how we can support your organization’s compliance and operational needs.