More than 1200 end users have already joined the Latvian Medicines Verification System (LZVS), which task is to ensure the safety of medicines in the legal supply chain of medicines in Latvia: pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers and healthcare institutions that have legal permission to purchase medicines – hospitals, polyclinics, doctors' practices, dental clinics and practices.
The Latvian Medicines Verification Organisation (LZVO) reminds that all LZVS end users have certain obligations to be fulfilled in the daily verification process of medicines and in cases where an alert is generated in the system.
General obligations of LZVS end users:
- The end users must provide all necessary machinery, services, and equipment to use LZVS, including the relevant computer equipment and Internet connection.
- The end users may connect and use the LZVS only to verify and / or decommission the unique identifier of the medicines only for those products under its physical control.
- LZVS may be accessed and used only by representatives of end user whose identity, role and right of access to LZVS have been verified and accepted.
- End users may not use LZVS in any illegal way or in a manner that may cause damage to the system.
- End users must notify LZVO if their operating license is suspended or revoked.
Action in case of technical problems:
- In cases where verification of the medicines is not possible due to technical reasons, the unique identifier (unique data of package) must be recorded by the end users. Technical problems are interruption of the Internet operation, unavailability of an IT system, interruption of power supply or other technical problems on the end user side or LZVS side.
- The end user verifies the authenticity of the code and decommissions the identifier as soon as the technical problems are resolved.
- The end user shall establish a system, rules, and procedures for the recording of unique identifier data. This can be either an electronic database or manual data capture, such as entries of package data in a special journal and / or photography of code.
Responsibilities of the end users in the case of an alert:
- The package of medicines that has caused the alert should not be sold or used to a patient.
- The package of medicines should be quarantined until the cause of the alert has been resolved.
- It must be ensured that the cause of the alert is not a technical, procedural or IT error.
- If the error is not identified on the end-user's side, the investigation of an alert should be initiated by contacting the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH).
- The MAH, LZVO or the national competent authorities may request a photograph of the package of medicines that caused the alert for further investigation.
- The alert and its investigation must be documented.
- If necessary, the support of the LZVO and / or the Health Inspectorate can be requested.
LZVO contacts for consultations and support:
mobile phone: +371 29367267
e-mail: helpdesk@lzvo.lv