Communication Campaign
Starting this Monday, November 17, 2025, Luxembourg pharmacies will host a national information campaign initiated by the Luxembourg Medicines Verification Organisation (LMVO). The objective: to inform the public about the existence of systematic verification of medicines and to highlight the essential role of pharmacists in protecting patients.
Since 2019, Luxembourg pharmacists have been verifying every prescription medication using the European Medical Verification System (EMVS). Managed in Luxembourg by the LMVO, this system makes it possible to remove any suspect packaging from the distribution chain and to guarantee that only safe and authentic medications reach patients.
Counterfeit medicines: a serious threat
Globally, counterfeit medicines pose a serious threat to public health. They can contain ineffective or even dangerous substances. Faced with the growing threat of these counterfeit products, particularly through online commerce, the LMVO is launching a national awareness campaign in Luxembourg pharmacies.
The recent discovery of counterfeit packaging for an antidiabetic drug in some European Union member states illustrates the need for constant vigilance.
While serious cases, even deaths, have been reported outside the European Union following the use of counterfeit products purchased outside legal channels, this has not been the case in Europe. The European verification system and cooperation between actors in the pharmaceutical supply chain have enabled the rapid detection and interception of these counterfeit products within the official EU drug distribution network, before they could have been dispensed to patients. This vigilance has ensured both the safety and integrity of the distributed medicines.
Check to protect: medication verification explained to the public
In practice, each prescription medication is equipped with a unique identifier and a tamper-evident device. Before dispensing the medecine, the pharmacist scans the product code and verifies its authenticity in real time against the European database. If an anomaly is detected, the box is automatically blocked, preventing dispensing.
Built-in verification, invisible security
For the patient, nothing changes in practice since this verification remains invisible: it is fully integrated into the dispensing process. But it constitutes an effective and permanent safeguard, essential for preserving public health.
The European Medicines Verification System (EMVS), developed with the support of the pharmaceutical industry, relies on collaboration among all stakeholders in the medicines supply chain—manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacists—and public authorities. This system represents a major step forward in the fight against these illegal products.
“ Pharmacists are on the front line in the fight against counterfeit medicines ,” emphasizes Laurence Ponchaut, Director of LMVO. “ Thanks to their vigilance and that of all actors in the drug distribution chain —from the manufacturer to the pharmacist— and also thanks to the EMVS system, patients benefit from invisible but continuous monitoring, which strengthens trust in the drug supply chain. ”
An essential tool in the face of the rise of online commerce
The growth of unregulated e-commerce facilitates the circulation of counterfeit medicines worldwide. In this context, the EMVS system is a crucial safeguard for protecting patients and preserving the integrity of the medicine supply chain.
Thanks to the cooperation of all actors in the sector, it ensures that every medicine dispensed in the European Union via pharmacies has been authenticated, thereby strengthening public safety and confidence.