Anti-counterfeiting and track and trace solutions

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are one of the most critical issues facing the industry today. Rather than merely reacting to the industry issues surrounding counterfeiting, the packaging services business of Catalent Pharma Solutions has been proactive in planning, implementing and evaluating technologies and procedures to combat this critical problem.

Anti-counterfeiting and Track and Trace Solutions

Counterfeit products are a major challenge facing the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and consumer health industry. Whether from sub-standard ingredients, improper labeling and packaging of products, or adulterated medications, counterfeit products can dramatically impact the quality and the costs of healthcare globally. The World Health Organization estimates that in developed countries, up to 1% of drug sales are counterfeit. This figure rises to 10% of drug sales in under developed countries.

To eliminate the threat of counterfeit medications, governments and industry groups around the world are passing and reviewing legislation to prompt action to secure the supply chain.

To ensure authenticity, many governments and regulatory bodies have passed or are drafting legislation that will require all drugs to be uniquely tracked and traced through chain of custody: from manufacturers to distributors to pharmacies or hospitals. In the United States, several states are reviewing “ePedigree” laws that would require manufacturers and distributors to provide electronic records of sale for each drug unit.

Catalent’s Track & Trace Solutions

As the industry moves towards implementing technology to support ePedigree, Catalent stands ready with proven track and trace solutions: An early adopter of track and trace solutions, Catalent was the first contract manufacturer to fully pilot the radio frequency identification technology.

Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)

Catalent has the capability to manufacture RFID enabled labels for pharmaceutical manufacturers as well as the capability to tag and encode products with item specific data at our major packaging facilities.

Catalent’s Overt and Covert Authentication Solutions

In addition to Track & Trace technologies, Catalent also has experience incorporating novel anti-counterfeiting features into the secondary packaging of drugs. Some of these features are overt, allowing consumers to confirm the authenticity of products themselves, while others are covert, allowing supply chain partners and manufacturers to verify product authenticity with specialized equipment.



Catalent Pharma Solutions was created in April 2007, when The Blackstone Group acquired the Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services segment of Cardinal Health. Catalent has nearly 75 years of experience in serving pharmaceutical and consumer health companies around the globe, and nearly 20 years of experience in serving the biotechnology industry. We are the leading provider of innovative packaging solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and consumer healthcare industries. Our facilities are located in the United States, Puerto Rico, Germany and the United Kingdom. With the ability to produce more than 240 different products simultaneously in our advanced facilities, we offer unmatched capacity and standardized equipment to protect your investment and deliver quality products - on schedule and on budget.