Materia Medica Malaysiana

Deadline on labels extended

PETALING JAYA: Hologram labels on medicine and health supplements will only be made mandatory in May.

The Health Ministry’s Pharmaceutical Services Division director Datuk Mohd Zin Che Awang said the ruling was supposed to be enforced from January for all OTC (over-the-counter) products, controlled items containing poison, traditional medicine and health supplements.

However, he said an industry association and several individuals had at a recent meeting appealed for a delay.

“The association asked for more time to adjust their machinery for labelling their products,” he said on Friday.

He said the ministry understood their concerns and had granted a longer grace period.

Mohd Zin said enforcement would be carried out from May to ensure that the products had the security labels, which was meant to protect consumers from counterfeit and unregistered products.

However, the hologram label deadline for injectables (products used in the form of injections) by July stays.

“Details on the hologram labels will be made available to the public by the end of this year as they need to know how to differentiate genuine and unregistered products,” he said.

Industry players were initially afraid that genuine hologram labels could be placed on fake products, he said.

“Each label will have a running number on it, which makes it easier for us to monitor who bought them.

“We will ensure that only registered and licensed importers and manufacturers buy these labels for their products,” Mohd Zin said.

He said some companies had volunteered to stick the labels earlier than the deadline and that was not a problem.

The ministry had signed a contract with a French hologram manufacturer and a local agent, Mediharta Sdn Bhd, and will be responsible for distributing and selling the hologram labels as well as keeping records of buyers.