Malaysia Serialization and Traceability Compliance

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Global Regulations

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Labelling

Products are required to display information in writing.

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Unit Level Traceability

Sellable units are uniquely identified enabling a more granular traceability.

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Aggregation

The packaging hierarchy of products is required to be identified and documented.

Summary

Pharmaceutical products in Malaysia are regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) under the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Malaysia has implemented a national pharmaceutical verification and traceability initiative to improve supply chain transparency and prevent counterfeit medicines.

Malaysia operates the Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System (Pharma T&T), which requires pharmaceutical products to carry GS1 compliant DataMatrix barcodes with serialized identifiers. The system enables tracking and verification of medicines throughout the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The Pharma T&T framework supports digital reporting of medicine movement from manufacturers and importers through distributors to pharmacies. The system aims to improve regulatory oversight, protect patients from falsified medicines, and strengthen the integrity of the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Implementation has been phased, with serialization requirements initially applied to selected pharmaceutical products and progressively expanded.

Labelling Requirements 

Pharmaceutical products distributed in Malaysia must include a 2D DataMatrix barcode applied to the secondary packaging.

The DataMatrix must comply with GS1 standards and typically contains the following data elements:

  • GTIN
  • Serial Number
  • Batch Number
  • Expiry Date

These identifiers allow each medicine pack to be uniquely identified and verified through the national traceability system.

Human readable information printed on the packaging must correspond to the encoded barcode data.

Regulatory Timeline 

2017–2018
Malaysia began developing a national pharmaceutical traceability strategy to strengthen medicine supply chain monitoring.

2019 onward
The Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System (Pharma T&T) was introduced to support serialization and digital verification of medicines.

Current Status
Serialization and traceability requirements are being implemented in phases across the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Reporting Requirements 

Operation
Data to Report
When to Report
Commission
GTIN, Serial Number, Batch, Expiry
During packaging before product release
Import Reporting
Shipment information and serialized product identifiers
Before distribution in Malaysia
Distribution
Sender and receiver information with serialized product data
When product is transferred between supply chain participants
Receiving
Confirmation of serialized product receipt
At warehouse or pharmacy receipt
Dispensing
Serialized pack information supplied to patients
At point of dispensing
Decommission
Serial numbers and reason for removal
When product is destroyed or withdrawn

Supply chain participants must ensure accurate reporting of serialization data to maintain traceability.

OperationData to ReportWhen to Report

Commission 
Aggregation 
Shipping 

GTIN, Serial, Batch, Expiry  
Parent SSCC, Child Serials  
Sender GLN, Receiver GLN, SSCC or Serial List
During packaging before shipment 
When creating cases or pallets 
Before dispatch 
ReceivingImport Clearance
Supply to Pharmacy
GTIN, Serial, Batch, Expiry  
Parent SSCC, Child Serials  
Sender GLN, Receiver GLN, SSCC or Serial List
During packaging before shipment 
When creating cases or pallets 
Before dispatch 
Returns 
Decommission 
Serial status and reference 
Reason and serials 
When return is approved 
When product is destroyed or removed 

Operational Timelines for Industry 

  • Configure packaging lines to generate serialized DataMatrix barcodes compliant with GS1 standards.
  • Print serialized identifiers on secondary packaging during manufacturing.
  • Register serialization data within the national Pharma T&T system.
  • Report product movement through the supply chain using the system.
  • Maintain traceability records and support regulatory inspections conducted by the Ministry of Health.

Reporting Hub

Traceability reporting in Malaysia is managed through the Pharmaceutical Track and Trace System (Pharma T&T) operated by the Ministry of Health through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.

The system enables supply chain participants to report serialization data and product movement through electronic interfaces and APIs.

Participants interacting with the system include:

  • Manufacturers
  • Importers
  • Distributors
  • Pharmacies
  • Healthcare institutions

The platform supports:

  • Product serialization registration
  • Supply chain transaction reporting
  • Product verification
  • Regulatory monitoring of medicine distribution

Aggregation Requirements 

Malaysia’s pharmaceutical traceability system focuses primarily on unit level serialization using DataMatrix barcodes.

Aggregation at case or pallet level is not explicitly mandated in publicly available regulatory guidance. Pharmaceutical companies may implement aggregation internally to support warehouse automation and logistics operations.

Common Errors to Avoid 

  • Incorrect configuration of DataMatrix barcode elements.
  • Mismatch between printed serialization data and reported system records.
  • Failure to report supply chain transactions within the traceability system.
  • Incomplete traceability records during product distribution.

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