3rd anniversary of the European Medicines Verification System

The third anniversary of the European Medicines Verification System (“EMVS”) launch was celebrated on 9^th February 2022. This unique system ensures patient safety by detecting falsified medicines in the legal supply chain. The EMVS interconnects 2.500 pharmaceutical companies, 4.000 wholesale distribution authorization holders, 100.000 pharmacies, 6.000 hospital pharmacies and 500 dispensing doctors in 29 countries.

To celebrate the occasion, Andreas Walter, the General Manager of EMVO, highlights some of the biggest achievements of the system:

“The EMVS is a challenging project. Yet it has become evident that working together towards the same goal is not only feasible but has proven to be successful. EMVO continues to support the EMVS Community by strengthening the key priorities and encouraging mutual collaboration and commitment of all users.

Close collaboration has been demonstrated by the smooth running of the European Change Control Board (CCB, the central governance body within the EMVS), which has overseen the governance and implementation of over 300 changes since its inception, as well as the reduction of the overall rate of false-positive alerts, which decreased from 0,33% to 0,21% in 2021.

In 2022, EMVO will focus on operational excellence, alert management and supporting full compliance with legislation. These priorities are demonstrated in our core projects – e.g. the implementation of the AMS (Alert Management System) to support MAHs (Marketing Authorization Holders) and EMVS end-users in maximizing the efficiency of alert management.

The EMVS is also looking forward to welcoming Greece and Italy and is working diligently to ensure their smooth on-boarding.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved – our Stakeholders, the National Medicines Verification Organizations (NMVOs), the MAHs/On-boarding Partners (OBPs), the authorities and end-users (pharmacies, hospitals, wholesalers) – for the ongoing hard work. Patient health and safety can only be protected when we work together!”

The unique position of the Czech Republic within EMVO

Pavlína Štisová (Executive manager NOOL) adds on behalf of the National Medicines Verification Organization: “Regular monitoring of the EMVO shows that the Czech Republic has succeeded better than excellent in this demanding project. In a very short time, despite the initial partial problems, 100% of pharmacies and distributors connected to the National Verification Medicine System (NSOL). With a false positive alerts rate in the range of 0.01–0.04%, the Czech Republic was one of the three most successful European countries throughout 2021.

The Czech unique Alert Management System (AMS) has become a model for the “European alert management platform”. Czech AMS advantageously uses predefined messages (in Czech and English) for both sides of the system – end-users and MAH/OBP.

I would like to thank all the participants, pharmacists, distributors and pharma industry, and especially to my colleagues, for these achievements."