Crypto code

What is a crypto code?

The terms ‘crypto code’ usually refer to the Russian crypto code used in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Russian crypto code is a code printed on pharmaceutical drugs whose main purpose is to reinforce consumer safety. The origin of the code is in Russian Federal Law n° 425-FZ, also known as the Crypto Code Law. The law was passed on January 1st 2019 and has been in force since 2020.

What are the advantages of the Russian crypto code?

By assigning a serial number to the drug, the Russian crypto code provides:

• More safety to the consumer by helping prevent counterfeiting. This way, the chances that a consumer buys a counterfeited drug are minimized.
• More safety to the manufacturer. The crypto code is a way to ensure the traceability of the drug. It can therefore help the manufacturer deal with unexpected events (e.g. a product recall).
• More safety in the whole market. In particular, the crypto code allows Russian pharmacies located in remote areas where consistent internet access is a problem to verify serial numbers.

What are the elements of the Russian crypto-code?

The Russian crypto code consists of two parts:

An identification part. This part ensures unique identification and comprises a GTIN and a unique serial number.

A verification part. This second part is used for control and verification purposes and comprises a crypto number and a crypto code generated through a combination of the GTIN and the unique serial number.

Challenges posed by the Russian crypto code

The Russian crypto code poses two challenges to drug manufacturers.

The first has to do with the size of the code, which is twice as big as the code used in the EU. This is because the crypto code requires adding 48 additional characters to the datamatrix code. As a result, the density of the code (and its size) increases. Manufacturers must therefore ensure that the drug’s package is left with enough space to print the crypto code, something that can be quite difficult in certain occasions.

The second challenge relates to how the crypto code is generated. Indeed, drug manufacturers cannot generate a crypto code by themselves. Intead, they have to request them from the Russian Advanced Technology Development Center (also known as CRPT) and pay a fee.