Zambia will next week introduce a nationwide medicines track-and-trace system requiring every pack of medicine to carry a unique barcode and serial number as the government intensifies efforts to curb the theft and diversion of drugs from public health facilities.
Health Minister Roma Chilengi said the system, to be implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) from 2 November, would enable medicines to be monitored throughout the supply chain, from the point of manufacture or importation to the patient.
Under the new regime, medicines supplied through public health facilities will carry a red security label marked “Property of the Ministry of Health, Not for Sale”, while medicines intended for private pharmacies will carry a blue label.
Chilengi said the initiative would help authorities and members of the public identify government medicines that have been stolen or diverted for illegal sale.
A grace period for implementation will run until 30 April 2027, allowing manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to comply with the new requirements.
From 1 May 2027, no medicine without a valid security label will be allowed on the Zambian market, making the tracking mechanism a mandatory requirement for all pharmaceutical products sold in the country.
Authorities say the system will provide real-time traceability and make it significantly more difficult for stolen, counterfeit or diverted medicines to enter legitimate supply chains, while improving oversight of one of the country’s most critical public health sectors.
The move comes as Zambia continues to grapple with the pilferage and diversion of medicines and medical supplies, a problem that has periodically undermined public confidence in the healthcare system and contributed to shortages in public health facilities.
Reports of government-supplied medicines finding their way into private pharmacies and informal markets have prompted repeated calls for tighter controls and greater accountability throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain.
JN/APA