Pharma packaging design is due for a makeover, thanks to a new EU regulation that will come into effect in February 2019. The Falsified Medicines Directive will cost the pharmaceutical industry more than 5 billion euros; a major investment for which patients can’t be charged. Reportedly 82 percent of manufacturers are taking the necessary measures as we speak and 18 percent have already finished implementing them.
The code will be scanned before the package leaves the manufacturer and once more at the point of sale. A database located in the cloud must allow pharmacies to verify the authenticity of each package. Additionally, original closures must seal the packaging to minimize the risk of counterfeiting across the entire supply chain.
Original closures and unique serial numbers
As the battle against counterfeit drug packaging continues, pharma manufacturers in all 28 European countries must comply with stringent standardized safety features starting next year. All packaging for prescription medication and drugs that are part of a reimbursement system will then have to be labeled with a unique serial number in the form of a 2D matrix code.
The code will be scanned before the package leaves the manufacturer and once more at the point of sale. A database located in the cloud must allow pharmacies to verify the authenticity of each package. Additionally, original closures must seal the packaging to minimize the risk of counterfeiting across the entire supply chain.