ABDA pilot project against counterfeit medicines

ABDA: pilot project against counterfeit drugs begins

Numerous German pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers are launching a pilot project for the authentication of pharmaceuticals. It is intended to combat counterfeit medicines.

A 2-D code will be printed or stuck onto the packages by the manufacturers or wholesalers. The code contains the pharmaceutical central number (PZN) (drug code), the expiration date and a batch number. When dispensing the package with the 2-D data matrix code, the respective pharmacy authenticates it with a scan and access to the Aegate database. The system of the company Aegate is according to the Federal Association of German Pharmacist Associations (ABDA) u.a. already used in Belgium. The data provider „ABDATA“ can also make current information visible in the software of pharmacies. These include u.a. recalls.

The pilot project is being carried out according to a draft directive adopted by the European Commission in 2008. As a result, the number of plagiarisms seized at the EU customs border and on the Internet is steadily increasing. The pilot project is expected to last around seven months. (Thorsten Fischer, Naturopath Osteopathy, 10.02.2010)