By Aline Leal, Agência Brasil
Ratified four years ago, the law that implemented a medication tracking system isn’t being applied in practice. Law 11.903, from January 14th 2009 states that the National Agency for Health Vigilance (ANVISA) should implement the Federal System of Control of Medications (SNCM) so that all medications produced in Brazil can be tracked from the moment they leave the factory until they reach consumers. After the law was ratified, a period of three years was agreed for full implementation of the system.
According to the law, all medication packaging should have an exclusive identification label with an individual number for each product. The identification number would thus make it possible to track production, sale, distribution and medical, dental and veterinary prescription. The objective is to avoid tax evasion, forgery and the theft of shipments.
According to the Association of Research in the Pharmaceutical Industry (Interfarma), no progress has been made on the issue. The body notes that the tracking of medications would be a ‘death sentence’ for tax evasion, forgery, theft and the other fraud committed in the area. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that almost 30% of medications used in countries in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa are forged.
ANVISA said that in 2011 it suggested including a security seal – made by the National Mint – for boxes containing medications. However, the idea was abandoned because some members of the pharmaceutical industry claimed that a security seal would increase production costs. In December 2011, the agency approved guidelines for the use of a system called Datamatrix, which is a two-dimensional barcode ready to be implemented immediately.
Source: Agência Brasil
Editing: Carolina Pimentel
