The Global Language of Business

Pharmaceutical traceability in China

Ms. Gu Lihong, Senior Consultant, Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) China, shared the advocacy organisation’s drug safety research and key lessons learned, including:

  • In order to achieve traceability, the serialised Global Trade Item Number® (GTIN®) in a barcode that identifies an individual medicine must be used from end to end—from manufacturing site to patient bedside.
  • The barcode containing the medicine’s information should not be changed at any point throughout the supply chain since this could cause error and lead to patient harm.
  • To help prevent falsified drugs in the healthcare supply chain, consumers (in addition to hospitals and pharmacies) should be trained on how to scan medicine barcodes.

To learn more, download the presentation.