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|Articles|September 15, 2014

EFPIA Efforts to Block Stolen Drugs in European Supply Chain

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ new medicines verification system will put an end to the re-sale of stolen and counterfeit drugs in the European supply chain, the organisation claims.

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations’ new medicines verification system will put an end to the re-sale of stolen and counterfeit drugs in the European supply chain, the organisation claims.

The European Stakeholder Model (ESM) reportedly offers a cost-effective technological solution using anti-tampering device together with 2D barcoding to verify the authenticity of medicinal products.

Because of loopholes in traceability systems across EU jurisdictions,  stolen medicines are re-entering the legal trade in EU countries through fictitious or corrupt brokers. With EFPIA’s verification system, serial numbers corresponding to each packaging will be recorded in the system; in case of repackaging, a link between the originators’ serial numbers and the traders’ serial numbers at batch level will be secured in the system. This link, reports EFPIA,  will prevent any re-introduction of stolen medicines on any EU markets.

Last week AIFA, the Italian Medicines Agency, reported that between 2006 and 2013 one in ten Italian hospitals registered thefts of pharmaceuticals.

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