This month sees the commercial launch of an invention that could make the detection of counterfeit drug that bit simpler.

The guidance under GDP for recognising fake medicines ranges from the highly specific to the somewhat vague. Our Good Distribution Practice course lists a whole range of ways to detect fake drugs from “does it come from a supplier you’ve used before?” and “does the quality and make-up of the packaging match other batches?” to “does it smell right?” and “is it the right colour?”

Even batch numbers and codes can be falsified. Now, a Hawaiian company has developed something that should take some of the guesswork out of the process. TruTag technologies’ edible bar codes are inert and about the size of a dust speck. The company claims they can even survive temperatures of up to 1,000⁰C.

In late 2011, US FDA issued guidance on the use of “physical–chemical identifiers” (PCIDs) like these as a form of “on-dose” authentication.  PCIDs can carry information such as product strength, composition, batch number, site of manufacture and expiry date.

Of course, all of this relies on the correct equipment to read these almost invisible labels. TruTag had unveiled its own portable “spectral scanner” to permit just this but the need for specialist equipment may put the technology beyond the reach of the poorest nations who, arguably, need it most.

Still, it’s certainly a step in the right direction!

Do you think that this technology will have a major impact on the counterfeit drug trade?

I’d love to know what you think.