Medicine authentication is the process of determining whether a medicine is genuine and corresponds to its stated identity, source, and expected characteristics.
Authentication may involve examining packaging and security features, checking identifiers or serial numbers, using specialized technologies, consulting authorized supply-chain records, or conducting laboratory analysis.
The method used depends on the medicine, the regulatory system, and the resources available. Importantly, appearance alone is not always enough to determine whether a medicine is genuine. Some falsified products can closely resemble authentic ones.
Patients who suspect that a medicine may be falsified should avoid relying solely on visual inspection and should seek advice from an appropriate healthcare professional, pharmacist, or medicines regulatory authority.
QUICK FACT
A medicine that looks genuine is not necessarily authentic, and a medicine that looks different from another brand is not necessarily falsified.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
- Medicine quality testing — Laboratory or other testing used to assess characteristics such as identity, strength, purity, or quality.
- Medicine verification — Checking information about a product, such as a registration number or supply-chain record; verification may be one part of authentication.
- Falsified medicine — A product that has deliberately been misrepresented.
SEE ALSO
- Falsified medicine
- Substandard medicine
- Quality-assured medicine
- Unregistered medicine
