Tatmeen is the UAE's national track-and-trace platform for pharmaceuticals and medical products. The official site describes it as "the UAE's first track and trace solution for pharmaceuticals", initiated by the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). It records each serialised pack as it moves from manufacturer or importer through distributors to the pharmacy or hospital that dispenses it. The Tatmeen FAQs give the go-live date as 13 December 2022.
Why does Tatmeen exist?
Track and trace aims to keep falsified, expired and diverted medicines out of the legal supply chain. When each pack has a unique identifier and every change of custody is reported, a regulator can see where a batch is, check that a pack is genuine, and see when it was dispensed. The Tatmeen site says customs officials, distributors, clinical providers and patients can all use it to verify product safety and authenticity.
Who must comply with Tatmeen?
According to the Tatmeen FAQs, the platform covers "all supply chain participants that produce, transport, store, or dispense" drugs. In practice that includes:
- Manufacturers and marketing authorisation holders, who apply GS1 barcodes and commission products.
- Importers and agents, who commission products before customs clearance into the local market.
- Distributors, wholesalers and drug stores, who report receiving, packing, unpacking and shipping.
- Third-party logistics providers, who must register with GS1 even though they do not need ministry registration.
- Pharmacies, hospitals and clinics, who send dispensing messages when products reach patients.
The FAQs state that registration and a unique Global Location Number (GLN) are mandatory for every site. You get the GLN from GS1 UAE first; Tatmeen then sends a registration link to your nominated contact.
Federal regulation of medical products has since moved from MOHAP to the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE). Check tatmeen.ae and the EDE for current instructions and contacts.
What is in a Tatmeen GS1 DataMatrix?
MOHAP's GS1 barcoding reference guide states that all secondary packaging sold, imported, produced and supplied to the UAE must be serialised. Each pack's GS1 DataMatrix must encode four data elements:
| Data element | GS1 Application Identifier | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) | (01) | Identifies the product and pack type |
| Serial number (randomised, 1 in 10,000) | (21) | Makes each pack unique; up to 20 alphanumeric characters |
| Expiry date | (17) | Supports expiry control and FEFO picking |
| Batch or lot number | (10) | Links the pack to its manufacturing batch for recalls |
GTIN plus serial number is often called an SGTIN. The guide notes that a serial number used for a product cannot be used again for the same product.
What is aggregation and who does it?
Aggregation records a parent–child link between a container and the packs inside it. A shipper case or pallet (the parent) is linked to the packs it contains (the children). Scanning one parent code then accounts for everything inside.
The MOHAP guide says logistic units must be aggregated and identified with an SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code), usually printed as a GS1-128 barcode. Manufacturers aggregate at all applicable packaging levels. Distributors, wholesalers and health facilities that unpack and re-pack products for delivery must aggregate the new logistic units with their own SSCC codes.
What events does a distributor report?
The FAQs group Tatmeen messages into four categories: commissioning, aggregation, shipping and status change. For a warehouse or distributor, the events include:
- Receiving when goods arrive from a supplier.
- Unpacking when a case or pallet is opened and packs are handled individually.
- Packing when packs are put into a new case or tote with its own SSCC.
- Shipping when goods leave for a customer.
- Status changes for sampling, damage and loss.
Pharmacies report dispensing, after which the pack's status changes to "Decommissioned – Dispensed", according to the FAQs.
How do you connect to Tatmeen?
The FAQs list four connection methods:
| Method | Suits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| B2B / API | Organisations with ERP, WMS or POS systems | Most efficient; needs integration and testing |
| Portal file upload | Moderate volumes, periodic uploads | Manual step; risk of late or mismatched files |
| Mobile commissioning | Commissioning products from a mobile device | Check with Tatmeen which events it covers |
| Web browser | Low-volume sites | No special software, but manual data entry |
The FAQs also say a staging environment is available for testing, and that fees will be announced later. Check tatmeen.ae before planning costs.
What must your ERP or WMS do for Tatmeen?
Whatever connection you choose, your internal systems must hold the same pack-level truth that Tatmeen holds. At a minimum they should:
- Scan and parse GS1 DataMatrix codes at receiving, capturing GTIN, serial, batch and expiry without retyping.
- Check that scanned batch and expiry match the purchase order and supplier documents.
- Store SSCC-to-pack relationships so that a received pallet can be broken down and re-packed.
- Create new SSCCs, using your own GS1 company prefix, when you re-pack for customers.
- Record which serials or cases went on each delivery and invoice.
- Record status changes for damage, samples, loss and recall.
- Queue and retry messages to Tatmeen, and flag rejections for someone to fix.
- Reconcile on-hand stock by batch between the ERP and Tatmeen at regular intervals.
What are common Tatmeen problems in the warehouse?
- Unreadable codes. Damaged or poorly printed DataMatrix labels slow receiving. Agree a rejection or manual procedure with suppliers.
- Broken aggregation. Opening a case without recording the unpack leaves Tatmeen believing packs are still in the case.
- Batch mismatches. Keying a batch number by hand in the ERP while Tatmeen holds the scanned value creates reconciliation gaps.
- Returns. Customer returns and recall returns need a received event and the correct status, not just a stock adjustment.
Are there published deadlines?
Tatmeen's FAQs give the platform go-live as 13 December 2022. This guide does not list phase deadlines for specific product groups or participant types, because we could not find a current official schedule on tatmeen.ae. Confirm your obligations and dates directly with Tatmeen or the EDE.
How Asli Pharma ERP helps
Asli Pharma ERP scans GS1 DataMatrix codes at goods receipt to capture GTIN, batch and expiry, and it keeps batch traceability from supplier to customer. A Tatmeen module is available to support reporting from ERP data. As with any system, test your Tatmeen integration in the staging environment and confirm your obligations with the regulator.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to register on Tatmeen?
According to the Tatmeen FAQs, all supply chain participants that produce, transport, store or dispense drugs take part, and registration with a unique Global Location Number (GLN) is mandatory for all sites. Third-party logistics providers must also register with GS1 even though they do not need ministry registration.
What data is in a Tatmeen-compliant barcode?
The MOHAP serialisation guide requires secondary packaging to carry a GTIN, a randomised serial number, the expiry date and the batch or lot number, encoded in a GS1 DataMatrix. Logistic units such as cartons and pallets are aggregated and identified with an SSCC.
Can a distributor use Tatmeen without an ERP integration?
Yes. The FAQs list B2B/API connectivity, portal file upload, mobile commissioning and web browser access. API integration is described as most efficient for organisations with ERP, WMS or POS systems, but smaller sites can use the portal.
What does a distributor report to Tatmeen?
The FAQs say warehouses send receiving messages when goods arrive and report packing, unpacking, shipping, sampling, damage and loss. Message types fall into four groups: commissioning, aggregation, shipping and status change.
Are there Tatmeen fees?
The official FAQs state that the ministry will announce fees at a later stage. Check tatmeen.ae for the current position before budgeting.