Rising VRS and digital credential adoption
OCI-conformant digital credentials seamlessly interoperable in public VRS exercise
Digital credential adoption
The latest OCI press release shows that standardised DSCSA Authorized Trading Partner (ATP) credentialing is gaining momentum across the US pharmaceutical supply chain with 34% of the manufacturer sector, one-third of the wholesaler sector and 10,000 pharmacies participating. Digital ATP credentials are right on the heels of EPCIS and Verification Router Service (VRS) adoption.
It is worth noting that digital verifiable credentials have been gaining momentum across sectors and countries, e.g. US Department of Homeland Security, NACS/TruAge — US convenience stores, IDunion — Europe, UN Transparency Protocol, Car Connectivity Consortium, mDL — Amazon, and even the White House’s Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity calls for Zero Trust Architecture, which is incorporated in OCI’s technological specifications.
At a practical level, electronic methods need to work together smoothly. This is what OCI-conformant digital credentials provide for the pharmaceutical industry, as they are embedded in the interoperable electronic network.
Louisiana Board VRS exercise
As announced previously, the Louisiana Board of Drug and Device Distributors put VRS and digital credentials to the test in the real world. The exercise culminated in VR-Day on Nov 19, 2024 and used standardised OCI-specified DSCSA ATP as well as Authority Credentials. The purpose was to observe the real-time results and learn from the experience jointly with participants and observers.
True interoperability can only be achieved through collaborative effort.
Essentially, the Board itself and a wholesaler sent Product Identifier verification requests for over 170 unique NDCs (GTINs) originating from more than 60 manufacturers. They received around 80% instant VRS responses when the Global Location Number (GLN) was known to the recipient. This was reduced to 50% when the GLN was not known due to some manufacturers’ GLN allowlisting policies.
In principle, digital ATP credentials make GLN allow- and blocklists obsolete, as they automate the trading partner check backed by thorough due diligence. This removes the need for the maintenance of permission barriers based on publicly accessible identifiers and allows for uninterrupted VRS exchanges with indirect trading partners or other entities that are unknown, yet legitimate, parties. Cybersecurity measures and the use of digital verifiable credentials are crucial when dealing with VRS requests from unknown entities. These measures help ensure that only authenticated and authorised actors can obtain sensitive information, reducing the risk of unauthorised access and potential security breaches.
The digital credentials integrated well into the Board’s exercise and did not impede the VRS exchanges. The two OCI-compliant digital wallets, that is the software that handles digital credentials, recognised each other’s digital credentials and processed them as part of the VRS-facilitated product identifier verifications. Thus, they proved that adherence to a shared open standard enables seamless interoperability between solution providers. This is a foundation stone for free vendor choice in an open market.
Further reading
- OCI Celebrates Major Milestone with Independent Audit Results
- ATP look-ups for DSCSA compliance
- Curating DSCSA compliance data for 80,000 US pharmaceutical trading partners and counting
- Recent observations on DSCSA exemptions and credentialing technology
- LedgerDomain and Spherity Surpass OCI Performance Standards in Latest API Tests
- The Ecosystem Coordinator’s role in SSI ecosystem management
