Cencora's Ameer Ali on Readying Systems for NDC-12

As the FDA's shift to 12-digit National Drug Codes (NDC-12) approaches, the pharmaceutical supply chain faces a transformation that touches nearly every transaction, from ordering and shipping to receiving and billing, all at once. Pharmaceutical Commerce spoke with Ameer Ali, senior director, manufacturer operations and data services at Cencora, ahead of his session at HDA's 2026 Traceability Seminar, "Readying Supply Chain Systems and Packaging to Transact NDC-12," which will cover preparation steps across EDI, back-office systems, DSCSA and packaging-line systems. In this first installment of our conversation, Ali outlines where that preparation stands for a distributors and manufacturers.

Ali notes NDC numbers touch nearly every operational and financial process, creating significant complexity as the industry adapts. Cencora's approach, he explains, treats the shift as a broader transformation in how product data moves and how products are identified, starting with an internal assessment of every system and process the NDC number touches.

Ali also points to uneven readiness across the industry: some manufacturers have completed their assessments and determined next steps, while others are still waiting on additional guidance before acting. He characterizes that variation as expected at this stage, but notes a key structural challenge ahead, since NDC-12 implementation will affect the entire supply chain simultaneously rather than allowing for a gradual rollout once the effective date arrives. The multi-year runway before that date, he says, gives companies room to prepare incrementally.

Ali's answer sets up a broader theme he'll continue to address — how distributors and manufacturers can use the time remaining to close readiness gaps before NDC-12 takes effect industry-wide.