Drug circulation control

Key problems of the Russian pharmaceutical market

Counterfeit medicines have become a national-scale problem. Experts estimate that up to 40% of drugs sold in Russia are substandard, and annual losses from counterfeit finished medicines are put at 30 billion rubles.

The Russian authorities pay close attention to the issue: law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Health and Roszdravnadzor (the federal healthcare watchdog) are all working to stop counterfeits.

Another unsolved problem is the lack of an effective mechanism for providing medicines to people entitled to subsidized drugs and for reimbursing pharmacies that dispense them.

Efficiency

A transparent procedure for dispensing subsidized medicines and targeted reimbursement for them

Single database

A unified register of every medicine's movement from the manufacturer to the end user

Quality assurance

Keeping counterfeit medicines, dietary supplements and medical devices out of legal circulation

One system, several problems solved

The system provides reliable control over the circulation of medicines across the country and gives citizens a convenient, and the state an efficient, way to provide subsidized medicines. It covers:

deploying the communication infrastructure needed to track medicines along the entire supply chain;
preventing counterfeit products from entering legal circulation;
real-time tracking of medicines from the manufacturer to the end user;
automatically recording evidence of an offense when counterfeits or abuse are detected;
monitoring the use of medicines in hospitals and pharmacies.

The system also serves as a platform for managing subsidy programs: it makes dispensing medicines to entitled groups transparent and creates an effective mechanism for targeted reimbursement.

System components

RFID tags — built into the packaging and used to identify individual items, ampoules, group packs and pallets;
arch-type RFID reader — installed in warehouses and production facilities to track the flow of goods;
RFID reader for cash registers and POS terminals — integrated with retail checkout equipment to register and verify every sale;
handheld RFID reader — for bulk identification of packs during receiving, dispensing and stocktaking in warehouses;
server software — collects, aggregates and analyzes data from all system components and hosts tools for subsidy management, business intelligence and rapid detection of illegal transactions.

Result: guaranteed quality of medicines

Implementing the system provides:

reliable data on the movement of medicines, including controlled narcotic drugs;
no way for counterfeit medicines, supplements or medical devices to enter existing supply chains;
a transparent record of medicines dispensed to entitled groups;
the ability to respond immediately to changes in the epidemiological situation;
protection against unauthorized dispensing of narcotic drugs;
buyers' confidence in the quality of the medicines, supplements and medical devices they purchase;
lower warehouse logistics costs for pharmaceutical companies thanks to fast stocktaking.