UPCOS ID GROUPS
There are nine UPCOS ID Groups (UPCOS Groups) symbolized with spheres of variable colors as detailed below:
Group R
PPRESCRIPTION Medicines (including DENTISTRY Medicines)
Group H
HOSPITAL Medicines and Medications; VACCINES; RADIOLOGIC Medicines, Agents and Materials; PARENTERAL and MEDICAL NUTRITION products, etc.
Group C
OVER-THE-COUNTER (O/C) and PRESCRIBABLE OVER-THE-COUNTER Medicines and Drugs
Group N
NATURAL MEDICINE Products; NATURAL HEALTH Products; Probiotics and Prebiotics; NUTRACEUTICALS; Vitamins & Mineral Products; NUTRITIONAL and DIETARY Foods and Supplements, etc.
Group L
LABORATORY/BIOLABORATORY Medicines, Products and Materials; MEDICAL, BIOMEDICAL and LABORATORY TEST Mediums and Materials, etc.
Group A
MEDICAL-SURGICAL and Laboratory INSTRUMENTS, EQUIPMENTS, TOOLS, APPARATUS, DEVICES, APPLIANCES and MACHINES, etc.
Group P
HYGIENIC-COSMETIC-PERSONAL CARE Products and Materials; HYGIENIC HEALTH Products, etc.
Group V
VETERINARY Drugs and Products
Group T
TOXIC-CHEMICAL-AGRICULTURAL Drugs and Products, etc.
UPCOS ID ELEMENTS: An UPCOS ID consists of three elements
1. UPCOS ID Number
2. UPCOS Sphere
3. WAMS Seal Hologram
Configuration and Display
On the front faces of all the containers, Packs, packets, boxes, bottles, sachets, tubes (cream, gel, etc.), cartons, cans and crates of medicines, medical products, materials and supplies, laboratory/Bio-Laboratory medicines, chemicals, products, materials and supplies, medical-surgical and clinical laboratory instruments, equipment, tools, apparatus, devices, appliances and machines, the colored group spheres of the products, proportionally to the size of the boxes, etc, take place.
At the right side of the spheres, the WAMS Seal Hologram, with a size equal to that of the sphere, takes place, and under them, also proportionally, is the sixteen-digit UPCOS ID Number (UPCOS Code).
(Click image to enlarge)
UPCOS ID Numbers
The 16-digit UPCOS ID Numbers (IDID and IPID Numbers), are made up by five segments of digits each of which denotes a corresponding part of the information related to the pharmaceutical product.
01 001 0001 00001 01
Product Group / Country / Manufacturer / Product Category / Product
Example:
Below is the UPCOS ID Number (IDID) of a C Group (03) (Over-the-Counter) product, a product of Aspirin tablet, manufactured and used in the USA:
03 001 0025 08500 47
1. PRODUCT GROUP NUMBER : 03
The first segment of digits in the UPCOS Number is the the number of the Product Group. In the UCPOS ID Number, the two-digit segment denotes the Product Group Number in the UPCOS System. Here, in the example, the number of the Product Group, 03, represents an “Over-the-Counter” (C) product.
03
2. COUNTRY: 001
The second segment of digits (three digits) in the UPCOS Number is the Country Group. It denotes the country where the pharmaceutical product is produced/manufactured and used. Here, in the example, the second segment, 001, represents the USA. Together with the Product Group, the Country Group is displayed as:
03 001
3. MANUFACTURER : 0025
The third segment of digits (four digits), the Company Number, denotes the company (e.g. AllStar Inc.) that produces/manufactures the pharmaceutical product. Here, in the example, the third segment, 0025, denotes the UPCOS Number of the company. Together with the first two segments, the Product Group and Country Group, the US Company is shown as:
03 001 0025
4. PRODUCT CATEGORY : 08500
The fourth segment of digits (five digits), the Product Category Number, denotes the category of the pharmaceutical product. Here, in the example, the fourth segment, 08500, denotes the UPCOS Number of the category which is “Salicylates” . Together with the first three segments, the “Product” Group, “Country” Group and the “Manufacturer” Group, the category is shown as:
03 001 0025 08500
5. PRODUCT : 47
The fifth segment of digits (two digits), the Product Number, denotes the UPCOS Number of the pharmaceutical product. Here, in the example, the “47”, denotes the UPCOS Number of the product, a product of Aspirin tablet produced/ manufactured in the USA by the “AllStar Inc.” company in the category of “Salicylates”. Together with the first four segments, the “Product Group”, “Country”, “Manufacturer” and the “Category Group”, the product, completing its whole UPCOS ID Number, is shown as:
03 001 0025 08500 47
Usage/Application of the UPCOS ID Elements
(Click image to enlarge)
Color Capital Letter in Color Sphere + Color WAMS Seal
On the Containers, Packages, boxes, bottles, sachets, tubes (cream, gel, etc.), cartons, cans and crates of medicines, medical products, materials and supplies; Laboratory/Bio-Laboratory medicines, chemicals, products, materials and supplies; Medical-Surgical and clinical laboratory instruments, Equipments, Tools, Apparatus, Devices, Appliances and Machines.
White Capital Letter in Black Sphere + Black WAMS Seal
On the Containers, Packs, packets, boxes of medicines, medical products, materials, and supplies; Laboratory/Bio-Laboratory medicines, chemicals, products, materials, and supplies; Medical-Surgical and clinical laboratory instruments, Equipment, Tools, Apparatus, Devices, Appliances, and Machines.
On package inserts (Patient Information Leaflets)
UPCOS Symbols of "Safety and Caution"
On the back faces of all the containers, Packs, packets, boxes, bottles, sachets, tubes (cream, gel, etc.), cartons, cans and crates of medicines, medical products, materials and supplies, laboratory/Bio-Laboratory medicines, chemicals, products, materials and supplies, medical-surgical and clinical laboratory instruments, equipment, tools, apparatus, devices, appliances and machines, the UPCOS’s colored safety and caution symbols, proportionally to the size of the boxes, etc, take place. On package inserts (Patient Information Leaflets), the symbols are printed as black.
UPCOS Symbols of "Storage Conditions"
Like the UPCOS “Safety and Caution” symbols, the UPCOS symbols of “Storage Conditions” are very important. They also take place on the back faces of medical/pharma products’ containers, packs, packets, boxes, bottles, sachets, tubes (cream, gel, etc.), cartons, cans and crates as well as information inserts and booklets.
Keeping medicines and pharma products in inappropriate conditions may make them not only ineffective but also seriously harmful.
