E-drug: German coding system for expiry dates (cont'd)
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Dear Dr. Laloge,
You probably got old drugs. All new German products must have a
clearly written expiry date: "Verfall: 31.12.98" or "12/98" (which means
expiry date December 1998).
In the past, manufacturers could only use the Ch.-B. (Chargen-
Bezeichnung): Identification code of the production. Every manufacturer
had its own coding system and German Pharmacists had a big book
to look it up.
For example: BRAUNOVIDON (Manufacturer Braun) 422264
Then the coding system of this manufacturer was written (I don't
have the book here just now). For example: last number (4) = year of
production (1994), second last number (6) = Month (6 = June). If
nothing else was mentioned, products had an expiry date of (e.g)
5 years after production.
Now all drugs must be labeled:
Hergestellt am: / (Produced on date)
AND
Verwendbar bis: / May be used until date (or Verfall: / Expiry date)
Reg.Nr means registration number of the German drug administration
(license number)
Art. = Artikel Number, which is the identification code of the producer
for its own computer databases. Useless for pharmacists.
Important for German Pharmacists:
PZN = Pharmazentralnummer = Central drug code. All registered German
drugs get a PZN code for identification purpose (like a passport
number).
Yours sincerely
Hans - Ruediger Elster
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics
Faculty of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther-University
Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4
D-06099 Halle / Saale
GERMANY
Tel. +49 - 345 - 55 25 214
elster@pharmazie.uni-halle.de
http://www.angelfire.com/sc/PharmCare
[Thanks for this excellent comment, Hans! HH, E-drug moderator]
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