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Japan Regulatory

Regulatory For

Japan

Regulatory Agency Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)
Regulation Name Ministerial Ordinance on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals; MHLW Notification on Barcode Labelling of Prescription Drugs
Compliance Dates
Year Milestone
2015 Initial barcode expansion
2018 Serialization phased implementation
2021 Wholesaler system readiness
April 2023 Full legal enforcement
Applies to All prescription pharmaceutical products (branded & generics) certain OTC and biologics

Primary Packaging

(Saleable Unit)

Barcode Symbology GS1 DataMatrix (2D) — mandatory
Barcode Contents GTIN (01), Expiry Date (17), Lot Number (10), Serial Number (21)

Secondary Packaging

(A carton containing one or more primary packs and includes a “mono carton” containing one primary pack)

Barcode Symbology GS1 DataMatrix (2D)
Barcode Contents
  • GTIN
  • Expiry No.
  • Lot No.
  • Serial No.
Serial Number Randomization Randomized or non-sequential required
Serial Number Reuse Not permitted
Human Readable Expiry Date Format YYYYMMDD (ISO format)
Barcode Data Encoding GS1 Application Identifiers
Product Code Notes Uses GTIN, linked to Japanese YJ Code (National Drug Code equivalent)
Free Samples must be marked? If distributed, must comply with barcode standards

Tertiary Packaging

(A shipper containing one or more secondary packs)

Barcode Symbology GS1-128 or ITF-14; SSCC for logistics
Barcode Contents SSCC (00), GTIN (01), lot and expiry where applicable

Aggregation Data Capture

Parent-Child Mapping Aggregation Capture?
Required between unit → case → pallet

Data Exchange

Send Unit Data to Government Repository? No central government database.
Send Unit Data to Third-Party Repository? Yes (industry systems)
Send Unit Data to Trading Partner? Mandatory
Send Aggregation Data to Government Repository? No
Send Aggregation Data to Third-Party Repository? Yes
Send Aggregation Data to Trading Partner? Yes

Authentication

Who Offers Data Repository for Authentication? Industry-run platforms (e.g, JPMA-supported systems, wholesalers’ shared platforms)
Manufacturers Must Register Shipments in Repository? Yes
Downstream Trading Partners Must Authenticate on Receipt? Yes
Downstream Trading Partners Must Authenticate on Shipment? Yes

Government Reporting

Manufacturer Activity Reported? Yes
Downstream Trading Partner Activity Reported? Yes
Source and Credit: This information is fully or partly based on the GS1 master document (all rights reserved). As GS1 does not control the content of the information, GS1 shall not be held liable, under any circumstance, if it differs from the master document.

DISCLAIMER

This information is being provided ‘As Is’ with no claims of suitability for a particular purpose. It represents just a possible interpretation of information available in the public domain and that interpretation is subject to change. This information does not constitute legal advice.

ABOUT KEVISION SYSTEMS

Kevision Systems, a part of the Kevin Group, is a leading solutions provider for complete end to end inspection of products & services for the inspection of pharmaceutical products like tablets, capsules and more. In addition to the inspection systems, Kevision’s Track & Trace Software & related equipment provide a fully integrated solution to the traceability of pharmaceutical products & Supply Chain Integrity.

Built on the cornerstone of strong quality focus, we deliver excellent solutions with very high quality & reliability.

Kevision Systems is dedicated and driven to provide the finest & the most optimum solutions for the Supply Chain Integrity as well as Optical Inspection Systems. We stand strong on the pillars of integrity, professionalism, innovation and expertise and have earned the credibility to work with any size of projects. We strive to excel in terms of quality and technology and be a preferred partner for our valued clientele.

For Further Information, please contact our Compliance Team at info@kevision.in

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