Speakers:
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Leonie Clarke MPSI - Chief Executive, Irish Medicines Verification Organisation (IMVO)
Summary:
The Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) is a legislation that was passed in 2011 at the European level to address the increasing problem of falsified medicines. It introduced safety features such as unique identifiers and anti-tampering devices on medicine packaging, as well as a common EU-wide logo to identify legitimate online pharmacies. The directive imposed stricter rules and inspections on producers of pharmaceutical ingredients and introduced additional requirements for wholesalers. The implementation of the FMD in Ireland is currently in progress, with scanning and decommissioning activities taking place. While there have been some challenges and alerts, overall progress is being made towards ensuring the safety and authenticity of medicines. The use of barcode technology has been beneficial in various healthcare settings, streamlining processes and improving patient safety. Leonie Clarke encourages collaboration and communication among stakeholders to address challenges and ensure effective implementation of the FMD.