The auditor himself: how to check the originality of the drug yourself?
On July 24, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine finally adopted the Resolution "On the introduction of a pilot project on labeling with control (identification) signs and monitoring the circulation of medicines," the press service of the Ministry of Health said . The main goal of the project is to combat counterfeit drugs.
Unfortunately, many Ukrainians are familiar with the situation when buying a drug at the pharmacy, you get a cat in a bag, because you can not be sure - the drug is a pseudo-drug, or as they are aptly called by doctor Eugene Komarovsky - "fuflomycins." For some reason, the pharmaceutical business tends to work in a "quantity" rather than a "quality" mode. Pharmacies at every turn, but what is their goal: to help you step into tomorrow or just to the next sign with a green cross? We are all voluntarily and compulsorily playing the pharmacy quest and we hope that we will not be the next to post a viral video about the empty capsules of the famous hepatoprotector.
So what will change from the adopted resolution?
According to the information published on the official website of the Ministry of Health, from September 1, 2019, special labels will begin to appear on the packaging of drugs, which can be used to verify the originality of the drug. And at the end of the year, patients will be able to test the drug using a mobile application. According to the developers of the application - the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine - it will help to prevent counterfeiting of medicines.
What is a control label?
This is a special 2D code that is applied to the packaging of the drug during its production at the factory. Data on this are entered into a single state system for monitoring the circulation of medicines. At the stage of the pilot test drive, domestic manufacturers, importers, distributors of medicines and pharmacies can take part. At the stage of official implementation in 2021, a two-dimensional bar code will be mandatory for all. In fairness, it should be noted that today some Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies have already purchased the necessary equipment and encode their drugs, and the lion’s share of imported drugs already have this coding on the packaging.
How will the auditing mobile application work?
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine assures that this application will be available to all smartphone users and will have a simple three-step algorithm: first install the application on the phone, then scan the 2D code, and read information about a specific drug. For patients, this will allow them to check whether the drug is not a counterfeit, whether it is overdue, and whether it is imported into the country without violating the rules. For the state, this will allow tracking the entire supply chain of medicines. According to the developers, the information functionality of the drug database will also be expanded in the future. This will allow you to control the issue of disruption of over-the-counter medications, as well as real statistics of drug consumption by patients.
And while the old imperfect system of state control of the quality of medicines in circulation still operates in Ukraine, each of us should be a vigilant auditor. After all, it concerns our health, and hence our quality of life. Prevention is always better, more effective and cheaper than treatment, but if you are still dealing with the purchase of drugs, check them yourself at the pharmacy. Namely: their integrity and integrity of the package, their correct name, manufacturer’s name, manufacturer’s address, dosage form, composition, registration number and batch number, expiration date.
There are also useful resources for drug testing: the State Register of Medicinal Products of Ukraine , the application "Drug Control" and State Service of Ukraine for Medicines and Drug Control.
Bless you!
Author Kateryna Stebelska
Read also: New inclusive norms: safe ramps and comfortable places in cafes
SUPPORT PROJECTS AND WAREHOUS FUND
Unfortunately, many Ukrainians are familiar with the situation when buying a drug at the pharmacy, you get a cat in a bag, because you can not be sure - the drug is a pseudo-drug, or as they are aptly called by doctor Eugene Komarovsky - "fuflomycins." For some reason, the pharmaceutical business tends to work in a "quantity" rather than a "quality" mode. Pharmacies at every turn, but what is their goal: to help you step into tomorrow or just to the next sign with a green cross? We are all voluntarily and compulsorily playing the pharmacy quest and we hope that we will not be the next to post a viral video about the empty capsules of the famous hepatoprotector.
So what will change from the adopted resolution?
According to the information published on the official website of the Ministry of Health, from September 1, 2019, special labels will begin to appear on the packaging of drugs, which can be used to verify the originality of the drug. And at the end of the year, patients will be able to test the drug using a mobile application. According to the developers of the application - the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine - it will help to prevent counterfeiting of medicines.
What is a control label?This is a special 2D code that is applied to the packaging of the drug during its production at the factory. Data on this are entered into a single state system for monitoring the circulation of medicines. At the stage of the pilot test drive, domestic manufacturers, importers, distributors of medicines and pharmacies can take part. At the stage of official implementation in 2021, a two-dimensional bar code will be mandatory for all. In fairness, it should be noted that today some Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies have already purchased the necessary equipment and encode their drugs, and the lion’s share of imported drugs already have this coding on the packaging.
How will the auditing mobile application work?
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine assures that this application will be available to all smartphone users and will have a simple three-step algorithm: first install the application on the phone, then scan the 2D code, and read information about a specific drug. For patients, this will allow them to check whether the drug is not a counterfeit, whether it is overdue, and whether it is imported into the country without violating the rules. For the state, this will allow tracking the entire supply chain of medicines. According to the developers, the information functionality of the drug database will also be expanded in the future. This will allow you to control the issue of disruption of over-the-counter medications, as well as real statistics of drug consumption by patients.
And while the old imperfect system of state control of the quality of medicines in circulation still operates in Ukraine, each of us should be a vigilant auditor. After all, it concerns our health, and hence our quality of life. Prevention is always better, more effective and cheaper than treatment, but if you are still dealing with the purchase of drugs, check them yourself at the pharmacy. Namely: their integrity and integrity of the package, their correct name, manufacturer’s name, manufacturer’s address, dosage form, composition, registration number and batch number, expiration date.
There are also useful resources for drug testing: the State Register of Medicinal Products of Ukraine , the application "Drug Control" and State Service of Ukraine for Medicines and Drug Control.
Bless you!
Author Kateryna Stebelska
Read also: New inclusive norms: safe ramps and comfortable places in cafes
SUPPORT PROJECTS AND WAREHOUS FUND