Who are considered trading partners under the Drug Supply Chain Safety Act?

Under the Drug Supply Chain Safety Act (DSCSA), trading partners encompass key entities involved in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This includes manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and dispensers, highlighting the importance of securing the integrity of the drug supply in the United States.

When considering these roles, manufacturers are responsible for producing drugs and ensuring their quality. Dispensers, which include both pharmacies and other medical facilities, are the entities that actually dispense medications to patients. Wholesalers act as intermediaries, buying drugs from manufacturers and selling them to retailers or dispensers to facilitate distribution.

The act recognizes that all these entities need to work together to maintain traceability and accountability throughout the supply chain, which is critical for ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals. Therefore, providers of pharmaceutical products and services must understand their role and obligations under the DSCSA.

This is why the correct answer includes all of these entities as trading partners, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the drug supply chain. By involving patients and pharmacists, the act also helps to delineate the broader network that is concerned with drug integrity, but the core trading partners, as recognized by the DSCSA, focus on the manufacturer, dispenser, and wholesaler roles.