Alex from Worldchanging sez, “You mentioned the problem of fake drugs being passed off in Nigeria. The problem is widespread. By coincidence, we recently published a story about mPedigree, an innovative new system which helps poor people verify the legitimacy of the drugs they’re buying with tools they have at hand, namely, a cell phone and text messaging. It’s pretty damn cool:”
The program combines mobile phones, scratch-off drug labels and text messaging into a simple, effective way for consumers in places like Accra to find out if the medicines they purchase are the real deal or counterfeit.
Here’s how their method works: mPedigree provides pharmaceutical manufacturers with specially coded labels, which are affixed to individually packaged medicines. At the drugstore counter, the purchaser scratches off a label to reveal a unique code, which he or she texts to a four-digit number. An automated service looks up the code in a database. On the spot, the consumer gets a reply message indicating whether the drug is genuine or fake.
The idea puts drug authentication into the hands of consumers, “who are the ones with the most to lose,” Gogo points out. By empowering end users, he aims to ultimately create safer pharmaceutical distribution networks throughout the developing world.”
mPedigree: Putting Safety into Consumers’ Hands
(Thanks, Alex!)