Anti-fake drug project launched in Sweden

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations is to run a pilot of its coding and identification solution in Sweden later  this year in partnership with Swedish retail pharmacy chain Apoteket AB  and local wholesalers Tamro and KD. Under the scheme, pharmacists will  check a unique identification code on each individual pack when it is  dispensed to the patient. These codes are generated and applied by  manufacturers using a simple 2D data matrix barcode, which contains a  unique serial number. The scan will reveal any duplication of data on  packs and will trigger the system to immediately alert the pharmacist to  the possibility of a counterfeit product, who can take the necessary  steps.

"The threat posed by counterfeit medicines is real and growing," said  David Brennan, chief executive of Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca.  He added that this coding system "represents a major step forward  towards" the goal of ensuring patient safety.