The authentication company's unique patient safety service can be implemented in real time – at the point of dispensing – to ensure that patients do not inadvertently receive substandard products.

Aegate's service links the pharmaceutical manufacturer with the pharmacist through a direct, two-way communications network. The network acts as a protective mechanism by providing patient-safety messages direct to pharmacists at the very instant when they are interacting with the product. This additional layer of security provides information on the specific pack being dispensed, ensuring that the pharmacist does not dispense counterfeit or stolen medicines, out-of-date or recalled products.

In addition to providing authenticity information, Aegate's service also provides supplementary data that helps the pharmacist help patients take their medication correctly and get the full benefit of their treatment.

Aegate – fully integrated into the pharmacy software system so that pharmacists gain access through their existing software package – works via a simple six-step process:

·         Manufacturers add a barcode with a unique and random serialized number which identifies each and every individual pack of pharmaceutical product.

·         The pharmaceutical manufacturer sends the unique serialized codes and other security information to Aegate as their pharmaceutical products are released into the supply chain.

·         The information is electronically stored and maintained by Aegate in a secure database.

·         In pharmacies, the barcode on the pack is scanned and electronically authenticated against the information in the secure database.

·         The authentication results are passed back to the pharmacist in less than a second.

·         Recalled, stolen, illegal or out of date products are identified and appropriate patient safety message are sent directly to the pharmacist.

Mass serialization technology makes it possible. This process, in which items are identified by a unique individual number (like a serial number on an appliance) are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers to serve as:

·         A system in which numbers are applied to each individual unit of medicine, enabling item-specific authentication to be carried out (as with Aegate's service)

·         An inventory control mechanism in which pallets or cases are tagged with a unique number and can be used within a wholesale distribution facility or the wider distribution circle

Although Aegate provides pharmaceutical manufacturers with a choice of serialization technologies ( with1D or 2D or RFID as the most common barcodes), emerging views across the industry are that 2D barcodes are more likely to be widely adopted than RFID in the short to medium term.

Aegate recently joined forces with Domino Printing Sciences Plc to enhance its innovative patient safety service. The collaboration between the two companies will further enhance Aegate's capability to support pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists in authenticating medicines at the point of dispense.

Domino has been successfully providing the pharmaceutical industry with a range of coding solutions which ensure security and traceability throughout the supply chain. According to Tony Walsh, Global Head of Pharma Domino IS Group, "Authentication at the point of dispense is an excellent step forward for the pharmaceutical industry…Up until now the current marketplace has faced a number of challenges which have prevented organizations from getting involved. With 2-D bar-coding it makes the proposition much simpler and enables pharmaceutical companies to easily mark their products, ensuring authentication and quick retrieval of sub standard medicines before they ever reach the patient."

Gary Noon, CEO of Aegate, said: "We recognize that the fight towards ensuring patient safety relies on collaboration within the industry and Aegate works with a raft of strategic partners to meet these goals and deliver its unique service across Europe. We look forward to our new partnership with Domino."

Aegate was a recipient of the 2005 RFID Breakthrough Award.