EFFECTIVE this week, the European Union has introduced requirements for most prescription medicines and some over-the-counter medicines for human use to have a "unique identifier" and anti-tampering device on their outer packaging.
The identifier is in the form of a two-dimension barcode and the anti-tampering device is a safety feature that shows whether the packaging has been opened or altered since it left the manufacturer, thereby ensuring that the content of the packaging is authentic.
These mandatory safety features are a "key measure" of the Falsified Medicines Directive which is part of the EU's strategy to strengthen the security of the supply chain of medicines, and especially protect European citizens against the threat of falsified medicines.
For more see ema.europa.eu.
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