scholarly journals CandyCodes: Simple universally unique edible identifiers for confirming the authenticity of pharmaceuticals

Author(s):  
William H. Grover

AbstractCounterfeit or substandard medicines adversely affect the health of millions of people and cost an estimated $200 billion USD annually. Their burden is greatest in developing countries, where the World Health Organization estimates that one in ten medical products are fake. In this work, I describe a simple addition to the existing drug manufacturing process that imparts an edible universally unique physical identifier to each pill, tablet, capsule, caplet, etc. This technique uses nonpareils (also called sprinkles and “hundreds and thousands”), tiny inexpensive multicolor candy spheres that are normally added to other candies or desserts as decorations. If nonpareils are applied at random to a pill immediately after manufacture, the specific pattern they form is unlikely to ever be repeated by random chance; this means that the pattern (or “CandyCode”) can be used to uniquely identify the pill and distinguish it from all other pills. By taking a photograph of each CandyCoded pill after manufacture and recording the location and color of each nonpareil, a manufacturer can construct a database containing the CandyCodes of all known-authentic pills they produce. A consumer can then simply use a cellphone to photograph a pill and transfer its image to the manufacturer’s server, which determines whether the pill’s CandyCode matches a known-good CandyCode in their database (meaning that the pill is authentic) or does not have a match in the database (in which case the consumer is warned that the pill may be counterfeit and should not be consumed). To demonstrate the feasibility of using random particles as universal identifiers, I performed a series of experiments using both real CandyCodes (on commercially produced chocolate candies) and simulated CandyCodes (generated by software). I also developed a simple method for converting a CandyCode photo to a set of strings for convenient storage and retrieval in a database. Even after subjecting CandyCodes to rough handling to simulate shipping conditions, the CandyCodes were still easily verifiable using a cellphone camera. A manufacturer could produce at least 1017 CandyCoded pills—41 million for each person on Earth—and still be able to uniquely identify each CandyCode. By providing universally-unique IDs that are easy to manufacture but hard to counterfeit, require no alteration of the existing drug formation and minimal alteration of the manufacturing process, and need only a cameraphone for verification, CandyCodes could play an important role in the fight against fraud in pharmaceuticals and many other products.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
M. Tamizharasi ◽  
R. Rajila ◽  
D. Beula Shiny ◽  
J. Vijila Jasmin ◽  
T. Kumaran

Awareness of traditional knowledge and medicinal plants can play a key role in the utilization and discovery of natural plant resources. Plants became the basis of medicine system throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide mankind with new remedies. Researchers generally agree that natural products from plants and other organisms have been the most consistently successful source for ideas for new drugs. The world health organization estimates that 80% of the population living in the developing countries relies exclusively on traditional medicine for their primary health care. More than half of the world's population still relies entirely on plants for medicines, and plants supply the active ingredients of most traditional medical products. The review shows the south Indian medicinal plant products has been used by people to treat various health ailments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-70
Author(s):  
Laith N. Hindosh

Background: A core set of checks have been incorporated into World Health Organization (WHO) WHO surgical safety checklist.  Lack of access to basic surgical care remains a major concern in low-income settings. Objective: We use a WHO surgical safety checklist items to improve team communication and cooperation to help in reduction of morbidity and mortality of surgical procedures. Methods: This is a prospective study involving 300 patients after applying the 19 items of the surgical safety checklist with different types of operations had been operated in the surgical theater at Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital during the period 1st of September 2016 until 1st of March 2017. We follow up the patients until 30 days after surgical intervention. Results: After applying  the 19 items of surgical  safety checklist, the risk of the  surgical site infection, respiratory complications, retained gauze and risk of  blood loss [14% , 4.6% , 1.3% , and 2%  respectively] was comparable to  the results of the World  Health Organization.  Using the pulse oximetry in 94 % and site marked in 65.3%.  In 64.6% of patients received antibiotic prophylaxis in which just 4 % developed surgical site infection [SSI], while in extended regime 36.67% there is 10% developed SSI. No mortality reported during collection of the data.  Conclusions: The surgical safety checklist is a simple method, and there is evidence for its effectiveness in reducing complications in clinical use. WHO recommends use of the checklist in all surgical operations and encourages clinicians to modify the list for different specialties and hospitals.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Cristina Luiza Erimia ◽  
Rodica Sîrbu ◽  
Radu George Cazacincu ◽  
Emin Cadar ◽  
Aneta Tomescu ◽  
...  

Because the falsification of medicines is a global problem, requires increased and effective international coordination and cooperation to ensure the effectiveness of the strategies to combat counterfeiting, especially in relation to the sale of such products on the Internet. In the context of people’s health and life rank foremost among the values and interests protected by the TFEU, this article examines the evolution of the legislative process regulating the internal market for medicinal products in order to ensure a high level of protection of public health against falsified medicines and to present the legislative initiatives that have been taken at EU level taking account of new risk profiles, measures meant to ensure, at the same time, the functioning of the internal market of medicinal products. However, this article aims to address consumers’ right to have access to safe, effective, quality and innovative medicinal products as a right of the European patient. Ensuring the free movement of medicinal products on the EU market must not violate or restrict this fundamental right of thepatient.The threat that falsified medicines pose to public health is also recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has established the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce ("IMPACT").IMPACT has developed the Principles and Elements for National Legislation against Counterfeit Medical Products, which were endorsed by the IMPACT General Meeting in Lisbon on 12 December 2007.


2021 ◽  

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of disease burden globally. According to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease estimates, there were 14 million new cases of CVD, 80 million people living with this condition, and nearly 1 million deaths attributed to CVD in the Americas. Hypertension is the major risk factor for CVD, causing half of the cases, and is highly prevalent, affecting one in four adults, including 40% of those over age 25 years.To appropriately detect hypertension, accurate measurement of blood pressure is critical, and inaccurate measurement of BP has important consequences for policies to address hypertension, as well as for patient safety and quality of care. The Fourth World Health Organization (WHO) Global Forum on Medical Devices identified several critical issues related to medical devices. Among those issues were recommendations for increased regulation of medical devices in low- and middle-income countries and development of technical specifications to optimize procurement of priority medical devices. World Health Assembly Resolution 67.20 (Regulatory system strengthening for medical products) stresses the importance of regulation of medical devices for better public health outcomes and to increase access to safe, effective, and quality medical products. This publication seeks to contribute to meeting these recommendations by providing a practical tool for governments to improve their national regulatory frameworks to improve accuracy of blood pressure measuring devices (BPMDs), in turn contributing to the exclusive use of accuracy validated automated BPMDs in primary health care (PHC) facilities by 2025. This publication can also guide the development of procurement mechanisms that will ensure exclusive availability of BPMDs in PHC facilities. Specifically, this publication will provide a brief background on the importance of using validated BPMDs and highlight key elements of regulations related to pre-market approvals to promote accurate BPMDs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Luiza Erimia ◽  
Rodica Sîrbu ◽  
Radu George Cazacincu ◽  
Emin Cadar ◽  
Aneta Tomescu ◽  
...  

Because the falsification of medicines is a global problem, requires increased and effective international coordination and cooperation to ensure the effectiveness of the strategies to combat counterfeiting, especially in relation to the sale of such products on the Internet. In the context of people’s health and life rank foremost among the values and interests protected by the TFEU, this article examines the evolution of the legislative process regulating the internal market for medicinal products in order to ensure a high level of protection of public health against falsified medicines and to present the legislative initiatives that have been taken at EU level taking account of new risk profiles, measures meant to ensure, at the same time, the functioning of the internal market of medicinal products. However, this article aims to address consumers’ right to have access to safe, effective, quality and innovative medicinal products as a right of the European patient. Ensuring the free movement of medicinal products on the EU market must not violate or restrict this fundamental right of thepatient.The threat that falsified medicines pose to public health is also recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has established the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce ("IMPACT").IMPACT has developed the Principles and Elements for National Legislation against Counterfeit Medical Products, which were endorsed by the IMPACT General Meeting in Lisbon on 12 December 2007.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-21
Author(s):  
Kathiravan P ◽  
Madhusudhan M ◽  
Purushothaman M ◽  
Sravanthi Ch ◽  
Srikanth Choudary P

Normalization of details is basic to survey the nature of medications for the helpful worth. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999, has given a feature convention for the normalization of medications including a solitary substance, however, next to no writing is accessible for the normalization of poly-home grown medications. We have built up a basic plan for the normalization and authentification containing four plant fixings. Three examples from various makes were obtained and exposed to different physicochemical investigations and HPTLC fingerprinting alongside in-house detailing. The set boundaries were seen as adequate to normalize and can be utilized as orientation principles for the excellence control/quality affirmation study. The purgative action of the fluid concentrate was likewise assessed to legitimize the conventional case.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Mirai Sakuda ◽  
Naoko Yoshida ◽  
Takashi Takaoka ◽  
Tomoko Sanada ◽  
Mohammad Sofiqur Rahman ◽  
...  

Background: substandard and falsified medicines (SFMs) are a threat to public health. The availability of SFMs in Myanmar was reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999, but there have been few systematic surveys on falsified medicines in Myanmar since then. The aim of this study is to examine the extent of SFMs for sale in Myanmar. Methods: target medicines were tablets of candesartan, metformin, and pioglitazone, and infusions of ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. Samples were collected from hospitals, pharmacies, and wholesalers located in the Mandalay region in 2015. We carried out observation testing, authenticity investigation, and quality testing to search for SFMs, and analyzed the relationship between SFMs and the price and store type. Results: There were no falsified medicines found in the authenticity check, though there remained a problem due to low response rates from manufacturers and regulatory authorities. In the quality test, some tablets of metformin and pioglitazone made in India failed the dissolution test. Conclusions: although no serious problems were found, some substandard medicines were detected. Regular surveys to monitor SFMs are therefore recommended, together with further regulatory guidance to improve conditions in all medicine manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Cristina Luiza Erimia ◽  
Rodica Sîrbu ◽  
Radu George Cazacincu ◽  
Emin Cadar ◽  
Aneta Tomescu ◽  
...  

Because the falsification of medicines is a global problem, requires increased and effective international coordination and cooperation to ensure the effectiveness of the strategies to combat counterfeiting, especially in relation to the sale of such products on the Internet. In the context of people’s health and life rank foremost among the values and interests protected by the TFEU, this article examines the evolution of the legislative process regulating the internal market for medicinal products in order to ensure a high level of protection of public health against falsified medicines and to present the legislative initiatives that have been taken at EU level taking account of new risk profiles, measures meant to ensure, at the same time, the functioning of the internal market of medicinal products. However, this article aims to address consumers’ right to have access to safe, effective, quality and innovative medicinal products as a right of the European patient. Ensuring the free movement of medicinal products on the EU market must not violate or restrict this fundamental right of thepatient.The threat that falsified medicines pose to public health is also recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has established the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce ("IMPACT").IMPACT has developed the Principles and Elements for National Legislation against Counterfeit Medical Products, which were endorsed by the IMPACT General Meeting in Lisbon on 12 December 2007.


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