What does aggregating drugs mean?

In a previous article, we saw that the serialization of medicines was the first step towards full traceability of healthcare products. Serialization involves printing a unique serial number on the case, but what about the bundle, carton and pallet in which the serialized cases are packed?

Today, most end-of-line packaging systems don’t allow these containers to be serialized and linked together, and it’s this unique link between a pallet, a carton and a serialized case that we call aggregation.

What’s the point of agrégation?

Aggregation makes it possible to link each serialized case to the box and pallet containing it. In a batch of 60,000 serialized cases without aggregation, finding a serialized case is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Aggregation makes it easy to find the pallet and box containing the case you’re looking for.

The aggregation system is connected to the upstream serialization system, which sends it the correct serial numbers. This makes it impossible to load a non-compliant case into a carton, as it is immediately detected by the aggregation system, which stops the machine and displays an alert message for the operator.

Aggregation also solves the reconciliation problems all too often encountered on lines without it, and eliminates complaints linked to non-conforming cartons put on the market.

Aggregation as a logistics tool

Without aggregation, serialization data must be sent to the customer when all the pallets in the batch are loaded onto the truck, which can lead to batches being quarantined at the depot.

With aggregation, you can send traceability data as you ship a batch, pallet by pallet.

Drug aggregation in Europe

Drug aggregation is not yet compulsory in Europe, although it is in other countries such as Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Be a pioneer and anticipate the arrival of aggregation in Europe by asking our experts to study your line ends now.