The Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) comes into affect across Europe on 9th February 2019 and there are big implications for community pharmacies. Basically, FMD aims to minimise any risk of falsified medicines being supplied. Medicines that are placed onto the market from 9th February 2019 will have a two-phase security system:
An anti-tampering device (ATD) on the packaging e.g. shrink-wrap or a tamper-proof label
A unique identifier (UI) i.e. a barcode that is unique to that medicine package/bottle
Pharmacies will need to make sure they have the right IT systems (hardware and software) in place, that they are connected to the National Medicines Verification System (SecurMed UK), and that all staff are trained and understand the new requirements. This will involve checking the ATD is intact at the point of supply to the patient, scanning the UI to check the medicine is okay to dispense, and then ‘decommissioning’ the medicine so EU-wide verification systems know it has been dispensed.
Find out all about the requirements for FMD with our guest speaker Raj Patel, Chair of the UK FMD Working Group for Community Pharmacy at our briefing event on Thursday 22nd November. (Registration & refreshments 6.30pm, event starts at 7pm.)
The evening will also include briefings on the new Quality Payments scheme for February 2019 and the NHS Data Security & Protection Toolkit which all pharmacies need to complete by 31st March 2019.