I’m very pleased to see the figures published in the Phase 1 report of the Italy NMVS Pilot Project, available on the institutional website of NMVO Italia
What makes this report particularly valuable is its documentation of the pilot experience across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, including the evidence collected, key points of attention, and good practices supporting serialization processes.
Key Figures at a Glance
24 batches and approximately 68,000 serialized packs tested across 8 pharmaceutical forms.
17 MAHs representing 18 manufacturing sites.
15 out of 17 MAHs uploaded batch data to the EU Hub before shipment.
For the remaining 2 MAHs, the NMVS correctly flagged the packs as “pack not found.”
29 pharmacies performed approximately 5,600 system operations.
What Do the Results Tell Us?
1. National system performance
The results indicate that the national system correctly executed the required operations when it received data in the expected format. This highlights the importance of looking beyond the NMVS itself and examining the surrounding processes and interfaces.
2. Manufacturers: print quality and code readability
A key challenge on manufacturing lines was the quality of printed DataMatrix codes, their readability, and the detection of the experimental security label. These findings underline the importance of packaging-line readiness and reliable code verification.
3. Distributors and warehouses: operational readiness
No major operational issues were reported across the distribution and warehouse stages. The main challenges related to onboarding procedures and response times for aggregated operations.
4. Pharmacies: the last mile matters
The 29 participating pharmacies performed approximately 5,600 operations, around 193 operations per pharmacy.
One of the main challenges was scanner configuration, which led to manual data entry in some cases. The pilot also used a separate web interface, without integration with pharmacy management software or the national dispensing system.
My Point of view
Numbers told you that this is why pilot projects are so important: they help identify real operational gaps before full-scale implementation and provide practical evidence for improving readiness across the pharmaceutical supply chain.
For the Track AND Trace community, this report is a valuable reference for understanding the difference between system readiness and end-to-end operational readiness.
Source: NMVO Italia Report of Phase 1 of the NMVS Pilot Project