Ensuring product authenticity in the pharmaceutical industry with cloud technology
This year has seen a rapid rise in the demand for Ozempic due to it being popularised by celebrity endorsements online, leading to a shortage of product.
Ozempic is a brand of semaglutide that helps individuals with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels, but it is increasingly being prescribed for weight loss in some countries.
Ozempic is currently in short supply due to high demand, leading some doctors to prescribe it off-label, even though it is not officially approved for weight loss. In August, The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) warned against purchasing counterfeit weight loss injections, as shortages of Ozempic are expected to persist into 2025.
The NPA has urged people to speak to the local doctor or pharmacist for alternatives to Ozempic, rather than purchasing off-label products from online marketplaces. Cases like this shine a light on the importance of clearer labelling to prevent counterfeit products.
There are a number of ways pharmaceutical businesses can prevent situations like this from occurring.
Combatting counterfeiting is key
It is difficult to diminish the importance of accuracy in the pharmaceutical industry, as one error or misinterpretation can pose significant consequences to consumers.
The huge growth of global commerce has led to a rising threat from counterfeit goods. These illegitimate products pose serious safety threats to individuals who choose to purchase them, highlighting the need to combat this issue. Research by Fortune Business Insights projects that, between 2018 and 2026, the global anti-counterfeiting packaging market is expected to grow by 45%. Brands must complete their due diligence and ensure they clearly authenticate their products.
One way to achieve this is by using a standardised cloud-based barcode labelling solution with approved suppliers and distributors, which can significantly reduce the risk of counterfeit goods entering the supply chain.
Cloud-based labelling solutions provide secure access to approved suppliers and partners while offering numerous benefits to manufacturers. They help prevent mislabelling through automation and support regulatory data, multiple languages, and customer-specific labelling requirements. Ultimately, these solutions exponentially improve labelling consistency and reliability. Taking this type of action can help alleviate some of the concerns that health bodies currently have about the pharmaceutical industry.
Digital passports ensure product authenticity
The digital evolution that all industries have experienced over the last decade has resulted in product authenticity and transparency becoming key priorities for both businesses and consumers. The Welsh Emerging Drugs and Identification of Novel Substances service (WEDINOS) tested over 7,000 drug samples submitted from across the UK during 2023-24. They discovered that 42% were either counterfeit pharmaceutical products or illicit drugs containing substances different from the intended purchase. Statistics like this serve as an important reminder that firms must allocate time and resources to authenticate the products they trade.
To achieve this, Digital Product Passports (DPP) have emerged as an important tool for supply chains. DPPs offer detailed insights into a product’s journey from manufacturing to distribution and are increasingly recognised as a valuable tool for influencing purchasing decisions. By scanning a product’s digital passport, consumers can access information about its origin, ingredients, sustainability practices, and more, enabling them to make more informed choices.
In the case of Ozempic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has encouraged people to only purchase the drug from reputable and authenticated sources and to stay clear of other available channels. To support this, pharmaceutical companies should ensure their available products have DPPs, certifying their goods for consumers to feel more at ease with their purchasing decision.
Cloud serialisation offers authenticity protection
Serialisation technology also offers another solution to combat the issue of counterfeit and expired drugs entering the market. Pharmaceutical businesses desire a solution to protect their brand with the many illicit products currently available for consumers to buy. The cloud-based RFID encoding of serialisation technology offers an effective approach to drug and brand authentication. The process involves reader devices comparing the information on each drug tag to a central database, which authenticates and verifies each drug package before it leaves the manufacturing facility and continues through the supply chain.
Cloud-based RFID traceability streamlines the detection and removal of counterfeit products. This technology enables the encoding of specific information – such as product type, batch number, expiration date, and manufacturer – facilitating real-time tracking and monitoring. Notable regulatory bodies such as the FDA, EMA, and WHO require certain documentation and secure access to a pharmaceutical company’s databases for the product they offer in their jurisdiction. With the aid of cloud technology storing the necessary data, serialisation technology provides these bodies with access to the data they require.
Future-proofing operations
With the rise in global counterfeiting operations, stakeholders need to be aware of their responsibility when it comes to pharmaceutical goods and their legitimacy. Companies can make this task easier by adopting cloud-based serialisation and standardised barcoding to prevent counterfeit goods from entering the market.
Going forward, DPPs will play a crucial role in ensuring the authenticity of pharmaceutical products, helping consumers avoid issues similar to those recently seen with Ozempic. Incidents like this must be avoided in markets with significant safety risks. Cloud technology can play a leading role in this effort, and pharmaceutical companies should consider adopting it to safeguard the public from potential health and safety concerns.
