Anti-Counterfeiting Technology Focuses on Drug Capsules

There are many anti-counterfeiting technologies that are used on drug packaging, but a new one utilizes nano-technology to encode prescription drug capsules before they’re even filled.

The new anti-counterfeiting technology claims to be able to track and verify the authenticity of every dose from its manufacture to its consumption, according to the October issue of Healthcare Packaging. This technology is being employed by a company that specializes in making capsules for drugs.

The nano-imprinting is done at the manufacturing plant by a machine that is roughly 10-feet by 10-feet. This machine uses different, changing parts to encrypt each pill with three different security features.

The first layer of security is a mark that can be seen by the naked eye. The second is a covert mark that the company says can be read by pharmacists and law enforcement agents at any point in the supply chain. The final layer is a nano-imprinted code that is so small that 350 of the codes could fit within a width of human hair, according to the news source. These codes can only be used by specialty readers and each one is uniquely developed for each product.

“In a tiny space several times smaller than a pinhead, you can put in a product or company logo, and numerous [codes] that contain unlimited information about the manufacturing and distribution of the product being [encrypted],” said the president and general manager of the company employing this anti-counterfeiting technology. “As an engineer, I find that quite impressive.”

Often times those who deal in counterfeit drugs focus on flawlessly duplicating the drug packaging to pass off the medication as authentic. The capsule company’s president says that this new anti-counterfeiting technology is an extra layer of protection.

“In some cases, the criminal counterfeiters and diverters caught up with the [anti-counterfeiting] technologies, because over the years they specialized in packaging,” he said. “We are not saying that there is not a lot available in terms of packaging technologies to battle counterfeiting and diversion, but we’re thinking about what’s available in addition to packaging. I think both go hand-in-hand. We are looking at the long-term, and how we can protect patients and consumers.”

There are many other anti-counterfeiting technologies that focus on drug packaging, such as the insertion of radio identification frequency tags, which give off a signal that can be read by a device that alerts consumers to the drug’s authenticity.