The Health Ministry is working on a draft resolution, where they update the guidelines for the definition and implementation of the data standard for drugs. Thus, it establishes the mandatory use of the Unique Drug Identifier (IUM) for any drug that is commercialized or used in the country. The Ministry is expected to issue the resolution in the coming months.

The text defines the drug data standard as the “set of attributes or characteristics that univocally allow the identification, description, meaning and relationship of the data used for the exchange of medication information”. In this regard, it states that the drug data standard is constituted by a Unique Drug Identifier (IUM) that will be assigned by the National Institute for Drug and Food Surveillance (INVIMA).

The standard clarifies that the IUM will be unique, invariable and of public use. It will also allow to relate a drug in its common description (MDC), with a commercial medication (MCO) and with its commercial presentation (MPC). So, each commercial presentation of a drug has an identifier that must be attached to the commercial drug identifier.

Likewise, it indicates that the IUM will be of mandatory use for the sanitary registration of drugs, their renewal and modification. The same will apply to the importing of unavailable vital drugs, including those that enter through public entities by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and those that are part of the Expanded Program on Immunization (PAI).

According to the draft, the standardization of drug data will facilitate the interoperability of agents. Furthermore, it will improve the processes of regulation and monitoring of drug prices and will serve as a tool to support the traceability of medications throughout the entire production and marketing chain.