Enabling product security

By Simon King, director Domino Integrated Solutions Group

The counterfeiting of pharmaceutical products is an increasingly serious problem that challenges governments and manufacturers around the world. In recent years, there has been growing evidence of efforts by well-organised counterfeiters backed by increasingly sophisticated technologies and criminal operations to profit from drug counterfeiting at the expense of patients. Non-legitimate drugs not only endanger peoples' lives, they also destroy brand integrity and profits.

As a result, the pharmaceutical industry faces increasing economic and regulatory pressures to track, trace and authenticate pharmaceutical products from point of manufacture to delivery to the individual patient.

However, the pharmaceutical supply chain is highly complex and fragmented due to the increasing number of wholesalers, third party repackers and parallel traders involved. In a positioning paper in November 2006, EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) stated that the integrity of the medicines supply chain continues to fracture due to different coding solutions being implemented in different EU member states.

Whereas there has been focus towards RFID technology as part of an e-pedigree solution to track and trace products, EFPIA has recommended a two dimensional Data Matrix bar code system to be introduced across the European supply chain.

A Data Matrix code provides significant advantages: it is robust and small, yet suitable to include various data, such as a serialised number, human readable information as well as GTIN numbers. In addition, what also increases its attractiveness is that it is currently more cost-effective than emerging RFID technologies, in particular at item level.

This is not to say that the adoption of a two dimensional system will prevent the implementation of a RFID system at a later stage, once the technology has further matured.

Just to be clear, RFID and Data Matrix codes are data carriers: no more, no less. Therefore, one of the keys to success is the inclusion of serialised coding and data capture systems to track the movements of individual units, cases and pallets at different points throughout the health care supply chain.

As a leading supplier of traceability solutions to the Pharmaceutical industry and with global systems integration capability, Domino has the experience in managing projects that include both RFID and Data Matrix codes and can easily identify and advise on the best possible product/asset traceability system according to individual customer requirements.

The introduction of mass serialisation via Data Matrix codes is possible to achieve now, and is the right step towards a European and eventually global standardised solution, which will lead to improved patient safety and a more secure and efficient supply chain.

For further information, please contact Simon King at simon.king@domino-uk.com