The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7423 p470
21 October 2006

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Anti-counterfeiting system to be launched in Belgium

An innovative product authentication system designed to tackle pharmaceutical fraud and counterfeiting will be launched in Belgium this week. The system, which uses radio-frequency identification tags or barcodes to authenticate medicines via a secure, online, direct communication link between pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacies, underwent a successful trial in the UK last year (PJ, 19 March 2005, p330). Aegate, the company behind the venture, says that the system cannot be launched in the UK until the Government or manufacturers decide to put unique barcodes on pharmaceutical products.