The challenge of counterfeit and falsified medicine is an international problem which though more prevalent among under-developed and developing countries, has left no corner of the world unaffected. What’s more alarming is that the criminal acts regarding fake medicine have grown not only geographically but in terms of sophistication and dimension as well. recent evidence suggests that the issue of fake drugs which were once deemed to be limited to illegal online pharmacies and non-regulated outlets, actually has a much wider scope as there have been reports of fake medicine being seized from unsuspecting doctors, clinics and hospitals proving that criminals have now managed to taint the legitimate supply channels and penetrate the very heart of our healthcare system. Tens of thousands of patients lose their lives or are hospitalized due to consumption of fake medicine; and pharmaceutical companies incur substantial costs due to direct loss of revenue and indirect loss of brand reputation.

SAMAN as the sole commissioner of the IRFDA has been safeguarding the supply of medicine and medical equipment within the boundaries of Islamic republic of Iran since 2008. Our system is built upon the concept of mass serialization and creates an electronic record of chain of custody from the point of entry into the country to the point of dispensing. Serialization is achieved utilizing 2D data matrices printed on labels and affixed to the product thereby, identifying medical products on instance level. Said labels include in addition to the data matrix, expiration date of the product, batch No, and a unique human readable serial number concealed beneath a scrachable coat. The product could therefore be authenticated either by scanning the 2D data matrix using SAMAN’s proprietary mobile application or queried by sending the human readable serial number via text message to a dedicated hot line.