Vetter helps drugmaker meet Korea's serialization mandate

A top 10 pharmaceutical client of Germany's Vetter has produced its first commercial batches of product that meet South Korea's serialization requirements.

Vetter has added a 2D datamatrix code containing a serial number, global trade identification number (GTIN), expiry date and batch number to secondary pharmaceutical packaging of medicines made by the unnamed company.

South Korea is among a growing number of countries requiring serialization of medicine packs, with the aim of protecting against counterfeiting and providing a more secure supply chain. At the moment the country requires serialization only of the folding package, says Vetter.

Last year, Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) announced phased serialization deadlines which came into effect at the beginning of 2015. Initially, around a third of all medicines - but 100 per cent of some categories such as psychotropics and biologic drugs - must be serialized. Starting next year the rule will apply to all drugs on the market in South Korea.

Last month, Recipharm unveiled details of its Korean serialization project for Abbott.