VRS PN Q&A With Jaidalyn Rand
In 2023, HDA created the Verification Router Service Provider Network (VRS PN) to complement the Verification Router Service (VRS), an industry-developed solution that enables companies to verify products in compliance with the DSCSA requirement for serialized saleable returns.
The network was established because the VRS cannot operate independently; industry collaboration is necessary for the entire system to function effectively. The VRS PN ensures that all solution providers work in tandem.
Since its launch, the VRS PN has been well received and generated interest across the pharmaceutical supply chain. We recently sat down with HDA’s Director of Industry Relations, Jaidalyn Rand, who reflected on the VRS and the network’s progress.
- Can you briefly explain how the Verification Router Service functions?
The VRS is very robust! The simplest way I can describe it is by the Lookup Directories that essentially serve as an electronic phone book. When the Lookup Directories are properly synced with records from Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) owners, they can ping a record and receive a response under one second, including the verification status for that record.
There are three components to the VRS … your requester, your responder and your Lookup Directories. If you think of it like a cell phone, you have the caller and the recipient. The exchange of that request allows the person on the other end to view it. If a lookup directory is out of sync or the record has not been updated by the GTIN owner, the system can be disrupted. Sometimes this is due to certificates not being updated, scheduled maintenance or downtime. Therefore, the verification request will be processed as not verified, resulting in an error code.
Essentially, when Lookup Directories are in sync, the VRS facilitates seamless communication between the requester and the response to obtain a verified product.
- How much growth have you seen since its launch in 2024?
Success and engagement are measured by the number of companies attending the VRS PN task force meetings. There has been steady interest in maintaining the VRS solution. We started out with only a few participating companies attending our VRS PN task force meetings and an interoperability testing subgroup. Today, we have nine member companies and six subgroups that meet regularly. The subgroups are Lookup Directories Readiness, Test Environments, Education, Advisory Board, Allow & Block List Taskforce and Stakeholders.
Workload is the last contributing factor in defining growth. After every HDA conference, we return with more recommendations from stakeholders. Our task list continues to grow. We're also reviewing our messaging standards to determine whether any changes should be recommended to GS1 for expanded use cases.
- What challenges do you anticipate, if any, after the exemption deadlines expire?
The large dispenser deadline on November 27, 2025, is probably the most important, as pharmacies will have to verify the percentages of their products to ensure they are accurate and legitimate.
Additionally, adoption by trading partners is a potential challenge, as not all solution providers use the VRS. For verified products or verifications to be processed, we must have the necessary data. If this data is missing, the verifications will not be processed. Hopefully, adoption will only be a short-term challenge.
Expanded use cases will always be a challenge, as people continue to find new and innovative ways to use VRS. That will require technology to be built or modified. Technology can often correct itself as it is used. The correction through usage is likely to be the most significant aspect that we'll need to educate the industry on. Help us “break it” so that we can ensure it works effectively, so to speak.
For more information on the VRS, please contact Jaidalyn Rand. For VRS PN membership questions, please contact Lisa Kanfer for information.