Schwarzenegger Terminates 2009 ePedigree Deadline

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that delays the state’s 2009 electronic pedigree mandate for prescription drugs until 2015.

Under the new law, a manufacturer must have an epedigree by 2015 for 50 percent of its drugs sold in California. Unit volumes, SKUs or drug product families may define the 50 percent figure.

By July 2016, wholesalers may not purchase a prescription drug without an epedigree. Pharmacies and pharmacy warehouses have until July 2017 to comply. The Board of Pharmacy may not delay the implementation timelines in the law.

Pedigrees would need to be applied to the smallest product package or container, according to the law.

An epedigree may consist either of 2D bar codes or radio-frequency identification tags, Virginia Herold, executive director of the California Board of Pharmacy, told MQN.

A copy of the bill can be accessed at www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1307_bill_20080826_enrolled.pdf.