Retailers Adopt Online Solution for CPSIA Compliance

An initiative to improve the safety of consumer products and ensure compliance with recently imposed federal regulations is quickly gaining ground with retailers and suppliers, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) reported today.

Coordinating with software developers from RollStream, Inc, NACDS designed the Certificate Exchange Network (CEN) to help companies comply with regulations included in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). More than 10 major retailers have signed on so far, along with the prominent drug manufacturer Pfizer.

Implemented in 2008, CPSIA requires certain products—such as toys, printer cartridges, bandages, and medications—to come with paper or electronic documentation that certifies adherence to federal safety criteria.

Penalties for noncompliance are steep, and can be as high as $15 million for a related series of violations. CEN enables retailers and manufacturers to securely share and download current product safety certificates to demonstrate CPSIA compliance within seconds.

“The Certificate Exchange Network can mean the difference between knowing where the most up-to-date certificates are located when they are needed, and not,” said Rick Cognetti, vice president of retail merchandising at Kinney Drugs, a recent CEN registrant.

Nancy Secours, Pfizer’s senior director of supply chain operations, cited practicality as a primary factor in the company’s decision to join the network. “The zero-install and strong usability of the NACDS-backed solution made CEN the logical choice for us,” she said.

For more information, view the original NACDS release.