OPTEL Partners for Pharma Track-and-Trace in Egypt
Track-and-trace solutions provider OPTEL and industrial systems expert Techno Service have formed an exclusive partnership. The collaboration will deliver a localized, end-to-end serialization and track-and-trace solution to ensure compliance with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
- The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) has set a deadline of August 2026 for all locally produced, packaged, or appointed pharmaceutical products to comply with new track-and-trace regulations. This mandate is part of a broader initiative to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain against counterfeit drugs. - EDA regulations require a comprehensive serialization and aggregation process. This involves assigning a unique, GS1-compliant Data Matrix code to each drug package, containing the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), batch number, expiration date, and a unique serial number. This information must then be linked in a parent-child relationship from the individual unit to the case and pallet level. - All serialization and aggregation data must be reported in real-time to a centralized platform managed by the EDA. This unified electronic system requires all supply chain participants, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, and pharmacies, to integrate their systems for continuous product status monitoring. - This partnership aims to address a key market challenge in Egypt: the choice between local systems with limited capabilities and advanced international platforms lacking in-country support. The collaboration combines OPTEL's globally deployed technology with Techno Service's local engineering and 24/7 technical support. - A specific focus of the joint solution is to support both manual and automated aggregation workflows, which are critical for many pharmaceutical manufacturers and third-party logistics (3PL) providers currently operating in Egypt. - OPTEL has over 30 years of experience in the track-and-trace field, with more than 8,000 of its solutions deployed on production lines in over 50 countries. The company's technology for this partnership is manufactured in Germany. - This regulatory push is part of Egypt's larger strategy to enhance its domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities, aiming to become a regional hub and reduce its reliance on foreign imports for raw materials. - The implementation of these track-and-trace regulations is being rolled out in phases, which began with pilot projects for high-risk products like vaccines in 2024 and will become mandatory for all prescription drugs in 2025.
