2023-12-13 23:00:46
One of the most serious problems in the health industry is the counterfeit medicines and therefore, with the help of the use of Barcode, it is possible to combat this bad practice. Furthermore, it is not only a crime but it puts the integrity of patients at risk because they consume supplies of dubious origin.
Where are counterfeit medicines purchased?
Through websites, social networks, street stalls and even in some pharmacies and hospitals, market health products and counterfeit pharmaceuticals. It is a severe problem that has not been solved so far.
To have an idea of the current panorama, at a global level alone it is estimated that one in 10 medicines in circulation is counterfeit or of poor quality, which can delay health recovery due to its therapeutic ineffectiveness. It also promotes the evolution of a disease and, in the worst case, causes the death of the people who consume it.
“This situation forces the pharmaceutical sector to implement all types of control measures to prevent products with these characteristics from reaching the population,” said Osiris López, Primary Sector and Health Liaison Manager of GS1 Mexico.
How is the barcode used to combat counterfeit medicines?
In addition to this, these types of products represent an economic loss for the people and health systems that purchase them. The WHO points out that the trade in apocryphal medicineswhich includes drugs that may be contaminated, expired, or contain erroneous or nonexistent active ingredients, amounts to more than $30 billion in low- and middle-income nations.
For its part, the National Union of Pharmacy Entrepreneurs (Unefarm) indicates that in our country the annual losses due to apocryphal drugs They can be up to 32 billion pesos.
Therefore, one of the actions requested by the WHO from the pharmaceutical industry, distributors, pharmacies and other members of the supply chain to face the Illegal saleis the adoption of coordinated actions that guarantee the optimal identification and traceability of medicines, in order to maintain an adequate, accurate, complete and appropriate record.
Benefits of using barcodes against drug counterfeiting
The expert explained that traceability refers to the ability to follow the trail of a product from its origin to its final destination, that is, when it reaches the patient’s hands.
This is achieved through enabling technologies and the GS1 barcode, the standardized global identification system that allows for a timely record of where it has been and where it will go in the different phases of production, storage, transportation, distribution and sale. , thus guaranteeing its quality, safety and legitimacy.
Los barcodes They have been around for 50 years and have become an essential tool for data storage. However, recently these systems have evolved from being one-dimensional to two-dimensional (2D), such as QR and Datamatrix.
They have the capacity to store, in less space and with greater precision, unprecedented amounts of data (place of origin, price, batch, serial number, production date, expiration, etc.), which provides greater credibility and security to the companies. health authorities, manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies, the medical community and, of course, patients.
Osiris López warned that the deliberate falsification It is not the only threat, since small mistakes can also be harmful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that 46 medications were recalled from the market in 2020 alone for various reasons including contamination, improper dosage, and labeling.
Strategy against prescription errors
Likewise, the prescription errors of a health or pharmaceutical product are also harmful and range from the illegibility of the prescription to the lack of updated information on the part of the manufacturer. This causes patients to often experience a “via crucis” to obtain their medication in the required dose and presentation, which delays treatment to the detriment of their health.
“A key element that strengthens the standardization/traceability provided by barcodes is Syncfonía, a next-generation digital platform that has positioned itself as the most important electronic data catalog in Mexico and Latin America, with the ability to group all drugs. , medical devices and health supplies available on the market, sharing and validating information and digital assets of all of them with the main retail chains in Mexico.”
Since it is difficult for a patient to detect a counterfeit medicineit is up to all those involved in the value chain to establish protection mechanisms that guarantee the Mexican population the certainty that only legal medicines circulate, and the sale of false, expired, prohibited or withdrawn medicines is prevented.
Tips for identifying counterfeit medicines
Examine the general condition of the box or container; if it has grammatical or spelling errors, if the security seals are intact, if the print does not present alterations in color. Check manufacturing and expiration dates, and identify that the data on the outer container (box) and inner container (packaging) match. Check that the appearance of the medication does not show changes in color, signs of degradation, or strange odors. If you suspect that the medication is not working as it should or has adverse reactions, consult a doctor immediately.
Also read:
Christmas Tree Syndrome, what is it and what are its symptoms?
ENARM 2023: Why have the selected folios not been published?
Nurse ran over 3 doctors “by accident”: Time.news of what happened
#barcode #combat #counterfeit #medicines