EPCIS
Serialized Prescription Data Exchange
A GS1 standard that enables pharmacies to capture and share serialized prescription drug event data across the healthcare supply chain.
Creating Transparency Across Complex Supply Chains
EPCIS provides pharmacies with a standardized way to communicate serialized drug movement and handling events across trading partners. Rather than managing custom integrations, pharmacies can rely on a shared language for tracking how prescription products are produced, transferred, received, and prepared for dispensing.
This improves confidence in product authenticity, accelerates exception resolution, and supports DSCSA compliance by ensuring traceability across the full pharmaceutical network.
EPCIS Benefits
Efficient Shipping & Receiving
EPCIS enables supply chain events to be recorded and shared in a consistent format, reducing delays caused by manual reconciliation or incompatible systems. This allows product movement information to flow more quickly between manufacturing, distribution, and downstream partners.
Seamless Data Integration
By using a common event structure, EPCIS allows internal systems, such as ERP and warehouse platforms, to produce and consume traceability data without extensive customization. This alignment helps organizations maintain continuity across operational and compliance workflows.
Regulatory Readiness
EPCIS supports traceability programs by establishing a verifiable record of product activity across multiple organizations. This makes it easier to demonstrate compliance with regulatory frameworks that require accurate, auditable product histories, including DSCSA.
Partner Compatibility
EPCIS is designed to be exchanged between independent trading partners using standard transport methods. This enables organizations to share product event data without requiring each partner to adopt the same technology stack or internal systems.
The EPCIS Data Set
Item Identification
Unique identifier for each product unit, such as serial number, GTIN, and EPC.
Event Data
Information about the transaction, movement, or status of the product, such as transaction history, transaction information, and transaction statement.
Location Data
EPCIS includes information about the location of the product, such as facility, warehouse, or retail.
Time Data
Information about when a product was received, shipped, or moved.
Business Data
Information about the business transaction associated with the product, such as the parties involved, quantity of product, and terms of the transaction.
Understanding Parent–Child Relationships in EPCIS
EPCIS supports the ability for pharmacies to understand how individual serialized prescription drug packages relate to larger shipment structures, such as cases, totes, or pallets. Rather than treating every package in isolation, EPCIS allows multiple serialized items to remain linked to a higher-level container or handling unit throughout distribution.
By recording these relationships, pharmacy supply chain activity can be monitored at the shipment level while still preserving the ability to reference each individual package when needed. This structure improves operational visibility during receiving, storage, and inventory movement without sacrificing traceability or detail.
Maintaining accurate parent–child relationships is especially important in regulated pharmaceutical supply chains, where pharmacies must demonstrate control over product movement and maintain reliable records to meet DSCSA compliance requirements.
Unit Serialization
Each saleable unit is assigned a unique identifier.
Inner Packaging Level
Units packed into cartons. Each carton is assigned a unique identifier and each unit (child) is associated with the carton (parent).
Outer Packaging Level
Units packed into cases. Each case is assigned a unique identifier, and each unit (child) is associated with the case (parent).
Pallet Serialization
Cases packed onto pallets. Each pallet is assigned a unique identifier, and each case (child) is associated with the pallet (parent).
"Trust.med ensures secure, uninterrupted access to critical pharmaceutical product information, enabling seamless data exchange, recall notifications, and product verification. More than just a technological tool, Trust.med aids in meeting the stringent DSCSA compliance requirements, enhancing the global discoverability of pharmaceutical product and location data."
Disrupt Magazine
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EPCIS Reference Documentation