According to Zambia Daily Mail and the African Press Agency, Zambia’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with ZAMRA, announced implementation beginning on 2 November 2026, to combat falsified medicines and the theft and diversion of government supplies.
The system requires locally manufactured and imported medicines to carry security labels featuring a unique 2D barcode and serial number linked to product, batch and expiry information.
Reported implementation timetable:
• 1 February 2027: New imported consignments and locally released batches must carry valid security labels.
• 30 April 2027: Deadline to label existing stock or remove it from the supply chain.
• 1 May 2027: Medicines without valid security labels may no longer be accepted, distributed, sold, dispensed or supplied in Zambia.
Public-sector medicines: Red labels marked “Property of the Ministry of Health, Not for Sale”.
Private-sector medicines: Blue labels.
Manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health facilities will be required to register with ZAMRA and train relevant personnel.
Non-compliance may result in seizure and destruction of medicines, licence suspension, revocation or closure.
Sources:
Zambia Daily Mail — 28 October 2026
African Press Agency — 28 October 2026
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