RxWeb and the falsified medicines directive law

The Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) will come into law for EU members, including the UK on the 9^th February 2019.

The FMD means that all new packs of prescription medicines must have an Anti-Tampering Device (ATD) and a Unique Identifier (UI). Pharmacists will be required to buy scanners and scan all packs of medicines before dispensing to patients to ensure that they are not counterfeit products. In addition, the ‘10-day rule’ allows the product to be reversed after it has been decommissioned.

One of the biggest challenges facing pharmacists is identifying whether medicine packs can be scanned at the point of the delivery to the pharmacy instead of at the till. However, other issues include whether or not scanning prescriptions at the till compromises patient confidentiality and if the software needs to be integrated into existing patient medication records (PMR) or is it a completely standalone system?

What is RxWeb planning?

Currently, there is no definite process around how FMD will be implemented in the UK. However, RxWeb has taken the initiative and is currently developing a system that allows pharmacists to scan their medication, which will be connected to the European Medicines Verification System (EMVS). We understand that FMD may place an extra burden on pharmacists and their processes. That is why we are currently developing a product offering that will support the new law whilst offering pharmacies a workable solution.

We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your Business Development Manager or email us at [email protected].

For extra information on FMD, please click on the following links:

• Chemist and Druggist
• NPA Brief Guide to the EU Falsified Medicines Directive
• UK FMD Working Group for Community Pharmacy