Achieving Vertical & Horizontal Integration in Pharma 4.0™
Recent projects on serialization and track and trace help illustrate the concepts of vertical and horizontal integration. With vertical integration, the unique product identification information (serial number, lot, etc.) used by sensors and printers on the packaging lines is made accessible to the supply chain and regulatory hubs throughout the entire technology stack. With horizontal integration, which employs heterogeneous systems and technologies, a single physical pack of medicines moves through the supply chain accompanied by the correct information about its state and characteristics, right up to delivery to the pharmacist and, ultimately, the patient.