2D Barcodes have a hidden issue

by | Jul 9, 2019 | Blog, FMD

It has now been a few months since the start of the new FMD (Falsified Medicines Directive) process and while no one expected it to work fully from day one, one rather obscure issue has arisen. 2D Barcodes have a hidden issue.

When looking at the location of the new 2D barcode you may notice they are black images on a white background. Now this in itself isn’t the problem; the problem begins when the black barcodes are placed on to coloured backgrounds.

The way in which the scanners are programmed they are unable, a large percentage of the time, to read these coloured background 2D Barcodes.

Many manufacturers have already addressed this issue and have replaced the coloured with a white square for the barcode to be placed to avoid the fact that 2D Barcodes have a hidden issue. While many have addressed the issue already there are still boxes out there with the old design and still manufacturers who haven’t addressed the issue leaving those along the scanning chain having to manually enter the details in to stay compliant.

Though this is a minor issue for some it can quickly escalate into a time-consuming task.

Make sure your team are aware and prepared for such an event. All we can do is hope this will be a short-lived issue and resolved quickly.

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