Verify a Pharmaceutical Supplier
Every national regulator publishes a register of authorised medicines. If a supplier tells you a product is registered in your market, you can check it yourself — usually in a few minutes. This is where.
Written by
Mitul Agarwal
· B.Pharm, MBA
Founder & Head of Business Development · 25+ years in international pharmaceutical BD&L
Why we publish this
Cross-border pharmaceutical buying asks you to trust a company you have not met, for goods you cannot inspect, from a factory you have not audited. Being cautious about that is sensible, and reassurance from the supplier does not fix it.
What fixes it is checking. National registers are public. Procurement portals are public. GMP certificates carry an issuing authority and a reference number that authority can confirm. None of it requires anyone's permission.
We would rather you used this on us than took our word for anything. A supplier who discourages verification is telling you something.
What you can check without asking anyone
- Whether a product is actually registered in your market
- Who holds that registration
- Whether the registration is current or lapsed
- Whether a GMP certificate is genuine — ask the issuing authority
- Whether a CoPP is valid — ask the exporting country's regulator
- What has been tendered publicly, and who won
Latin America & the Caribbean
Every regulator below publishes a register of authorised products. If a supplier claims a product is registered in your market, you can check it yourself in a few minutes.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Argentina
PAHO reference |
ANMAT — Administración Nacional de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Tecnología Médica |
Open register
Medicines database, plus the Vademécum Nacional de Medicamentos listing holder laboratory, certificate number, trade and generic name. |
COMPR.AR |
| Bolivia | AGEMED — Agencia Estatal de Medicamentos y Tecnologías en Salud |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. AGEMED publishes registration bulletins on its portal. Confirm the current public lookup route directly with the agency. |
SICOES |
|
Brazil
PAHO reference |
ANVISA — Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária |
Open register
Public consultation across medicines, health products and other regulated categories. Shows whether a product is currently regularised. |
Portal de Compras do Governo Federal |
|
Chile
PAHO reference |
ISP / ANAMED — Instituto de Salud Pública, Agencia Nacional de Medicamentos |
Open register
ANAMED grants sanitary authorisation and registration for pharmaceutical products manufactured, imported or exported. |
Mercado Público (ChileCompra) |
|
Colombia
PAHO reference |
INVIMA — Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos |
Open register
Direct public lookup of sanitary registrations — validity and status. |
SECOP — Colombia Compra Eficiente |
| Costa Rica | DRPIS — Dirección de Regulación de Productos de Interés Sanitario, Ministerio de Salud |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Registrations are filed and managed through the national Regístrelo platform. Confirm the public consultation route with the Ministry. |
SICOP |
|
Cuba
PAHO reference |
CECMED — Centro para el Control Estatal de Medicamentos, Equipos y Dispositivos Médicos |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. PAHO regional reference authority. Confirm the current public lookup route. |
— |
| Dominican Republic | DIGEMAPS — Dirección General de Medicamentos, Alimentos y Productos Sanitarios |
Open register
Direct public lookup of sanitary registrations. |
Portal Transaccional (DGCP) |
| Ecuador | ARCSA — Agencia Nacional de Regulación, Control y Vigilancia Sanitaria |
Open register
Base de Registros Emitidos — published database of issued registrations. |
SERCOP |
| El Salvador | SRS — Superintendencia de Regulación Sanitaria (replaced the DNM in 2024) |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. The DNM became the SRS in August 2024. Confirm the current public lookup route — material describing the DNM may be out of date. |
COMPRASAL |
| Guatemala | DRCPFA — Departamento de Regulación y Control de Productos Farmacéuticos y Afines, MSPAS |
Open register
Registros Sanitarios Vigentes — current pharmaceutical registrations. MSPAS also publishes mutual recognition information. |
Guatecompras |
| Honduras | ARSA — Agencia de Regulación Sanitaria |
Open register
ARSA portal. Registrations run five years and must be renewed three months before expiry. Confirm the public consultation route. |
HonduCompras |
|
Mexico
PAHO reference |
COFEPRIS — Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios |
Open register
Public search of sanitary registrations. |
CompraNet |
| Nicaragua | ANRS — Autoridad Nacional de Regulación Sanitaria, MINSA |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Operates through the Dirección General de Regulación Sanitaria. Importers must be locally established with an active RUC. Confirm the public lookup route. |
Nicaragua Compra |
| Panama | DNFD — Dirección Nacional de Farmacia y Drogas, MINSA |
Open register
MINSA sanitary registration system. |
PanamaCompra |
| Paraguay | DINAVISA — Dirección Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. The applicant for registration must be a sole local representative. Confirm the public lookup route with the agency. |
DNCP — Dirección Nacional de Contrataciones Públicas |
| Peru | DIGEMID — Dirección General de Medicamentos, Insumos y Drogas |
Open register
Registro Sanitario de Productos Farmacéuticos consultation. |
SEACE |
| Uruguay | MSP → AViSU — Agencia de Vigilancia Sanitaria del Uruguay |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. IN TRANSITION. Regulation is moving from the Ministry of Public Health to AViSU, created under Law 20.446 and operational during 2026. Confirm which body currently holds the register before relying on older guidance. |
ACCE / Compras Estatales |
| Venezuela | INHRR — Instituto Nacional de Higiene "Rafael Rangel" |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Registration handled through INHRR, with SIVERC used for certain product categories. Confirm the current public lookup route. |
— |
Africa (Sub-Saharan)
Regulatory capacity varies widely across the continent, and several authorities are being restructured under the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation programme. Where a register is published, it is the fastest way to check a claim.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | NAFDAC — National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control |
Open register
The NAFDAC Green Book — a searchable repository of registered products, by product name, active ingredient, registration number or manufacturer. One of the most usable registers on the continent. |
Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) |
| Kenya | PPB — Pharmacy and Poisons Board |
Open register
The drug regulatory authority under the Pharmacy and Poisons Act. Publishes retention and registration listings. |
PPRA / MEDS and KEMSA for health commodities |
| South Africa | SAHPRA — South African Health Products Regulatory Authority |
Open register
Medicines Online Directory covering registered prescription and over-the-counter medicines. |
National Treasury eTender portal |
| Tanzania | TMDA — Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority |
Open register
Publishes lists of newly registered products and licensed premises. Also handles premises registration and trading licences. |
MSD — Medical Stores Department |
| Zambia | ZAMRA — Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority |
Open register
Publishes multiple registers: human medicines, veterinary medicines, pharmaceutical licences and manufacturer licences. |
ZAMMSA |
| Ethiopia | EFDA — Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority |
Open register
Federal regulator under Proclamation 1263/2021. Issues market authorisations and certificates of competency. Confirm the public lookup route for registered products. |
EPSS — Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Service |
| Ghana | FDA Ghana — Food and Drugs Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public product register route with the Authority. |
PPA — Public Procurement Authority |
| Uganda | NDA — National Drug Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Publishes a register of certified products. Confirm the current lookup route. |
NMS — National Medical Stores |
| Zimbabwe | MCAZ — Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
NatPharm |
| Rwanda | Rwanda FDA |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
RMS Ltd |
| Botswana | BOMRA — Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
CMS — Central Medical Stores |
| Namibia | NMRC — Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
CMS Namibia |
| Côte d'Ivoire | AIRP — Autorité Ivoirienne de Régulation Pharmaceutique |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Francophone West Africa. Confirm the current public register route. |
NPSP |
| Senegal | ARP — Agence Sénégalaise de Réglementation Pharmaceutique |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
PNA |
Middle East & North Africa
Several authorities in this region are being restructured — the UAE has moved functions to the Emirates Drug Establishment, and Egypt consolidated regulation into the EDA in 2019. Check the current body before relying on older guidance.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | SFDA — Saudi Food and Drug Authority |
Open register
Information Lists include the registered human drug list with manufacturer, marketing company, price, registration number and local agent — plus licensed establishments and drug companies lists. Unusually transparent. |
NUPCO |
| United Arab Emirates | MOHAP / Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) |
Open register
IN TRANSITION. Registered Medications List published by MOHAP, but some functions have moved to the Emirates Drug Establishment. DHA maintains separate listings for Dubai. Confirm which body handles your category. |
Emirates Health Services / SEHA tenders |
| Egypt | EDA — Egyptian Drug Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Established 2019, consolidating CAPA (registration and pricing), NODCR (quality control) and NORCB (biologicals). Confirm the public lookup route. |
UPA — Unified Procurement Authority |
| Jordan | JFDA — Jordan Food and Drug Administration |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Sole national authority since 2003, covering registration, pricing and licensing of manufacturers, importers and wholesalers. |
JPD — Joint Procurement Department |
| Iran | IFDA — Iran Food and Drug Administration |
Open register
IMPORTANT CONSTRAINT: only medicines on the Iran Medicine List (IML) may be registered. Production, import, distribution and prescription of medicines not on the IML is prohibited. Check IML inclusion before any other step. |
— |
| Iraq | Ministry of Health / KIMADIA |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. KIMADIA is the state company for marketing drugs and medical appliances, and handles much public procurement. Confirm registration route. |
KIMADIA |
| Morocco | DMP — Direction du Médicament et de la Pharmacie, Ministère de la Santé |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
| Algeria | ANPP — Agence Nationale des Produits Pharmaceutiques |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
PCH — Pharmacie Centrale des Hôpitaux |
| Tunisia | DPM — Direction de la Pharmacie et du Médicament |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
PCT — Pharmacie Centrale de Tunisie |
| Kuwait | Ministry of Health — Drug and Food Control |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. GCC centralised registration may also apply. Confirm route. |
Central Tenders Committee |
| Qatar | MoPH — Ministry of Public Health, Pharmacy and Drug Control |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. GCC centralised registration may also apply. |
Hamad Medical Corporation |
| Oman | MoH — Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. GCC centralised registration may also apply. |
— |
| Bahrain | NHRA — National Health Regulatory Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. GCC centralised registration may also apply. |
— |
| Lebanon | MoPH — Ministry of Public Health, Pharmaceutical Directorate |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
CIS & Eurasia
The most important structural fact in this region: since January 2024, new medicine registrations across the Eurasian Economic Union — Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan — are made under a unified EAEU procedure with a single register, rather than country by country. One submission can cover multiple member states.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | Ministry of Health / Roszdravnadzor |
Open register
GRLS — the State Register of Medicines. National registrations were required to transition to EAEU rules by end-2025. |
zakupki.gov.ru |
| Kazakhstan | NCESMP — National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. EAEU member — the unified register applies. Confirm the national lookup route. |
SK-Pharmacy |
| Belarus | RCEMDT — Centre for Examinations and Tests in Health Service |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. EAEU member — the unified register applies. |
— |
| Armenia | Scientific Centre of Drug and Medical Technology Expertise |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. EAEU member — the unified register applies. |
— |
| Kyrgyzstan | Department of Drug Provision and Medical Equipment |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. EAEU member — the unified register applies. |
— |
| Uzbekistan | State Centre for Expertise and Standardisation of Medicines |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. NOT an EAEU member — national registration applies. Confirm the lookup route. |
— |
| Azerbaijan | Analytical Expertise Centre, Ministry of Health |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. National registration. Confirm the lookup route. |
— |
| Georgia | Regulation Agency for Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. National registration, with recognition routes for products approved by certain stringent authorities. Confirm current position. |
— |
| Ukraine | State Expert Centre, Ministry of Health |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Not an EAEU member — separate national system. Confirm the current register route and any wartime procedural changes. |
ProZorro / Medical Procurement of Ukraine |
South East Asia
ASEAN operates the ACTD dossier format and harmonised technical requirements, though registration remains national. Several regulators here run genuinely good public verification portals — among the most usable anywhere.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | HSA — Health Sciences Authority |
Open register
InfoSearch lists registered therapeutic products with active ingredients, dosage form, manufacturer and country of origin. |
ALPS — Agency for Logistics & Procurement Services |
| Malaysia | NPRA — National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency |
Open register
QUEST3+ product search covers pharmaceutical, natural and cosmetic products. In use for registration since 2017. |
MOH Malaysia tenders |
| Indonesia | BPOM — Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan |
Open register
Cek BPOM — public product verification showing registration status. Also available as a mobile app with barcode scanning. |
LKPP / e-Katalog |
| Philippines | FDA Philippines |
Open register
FDA Verification Portal — check whether a product or establishment is registered and licensed, by product name, registration number or company. Recently upgraded. |
PhilGEPS / DOH |
| Thailand | Thai FDA — Food and Drug Administration, Ministry of Public Health |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public product lookup route. |
GPO — Government Pharmaceutical Organization |
| Vietnam | DAV — Drug Administration of Vietnam |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Publishes lists of granted marketing authorisations. Confirm the current lookup route. |
MOH centralised drug procurement |
| Myanmar | FDA Myanmar, Ministry of Health |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
| Cambodia | DDF — Department of Drugs and Food, Ministry of Health |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
South Asia
Note the sourcing reality here: Bangladesh and Pakistan draw a large share of their APIs from China rather than India, and Bangladesh has a substantial domestic generics industry of its own. Assess these markets on their own terms.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | CDSCO — Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation |
Open register
Approved new drugs listing, plus the CDSCO Data Bank. State licensing authorities handle manufacturing licences separately. |
GeM / state medical services corporations |
| Bangladesh | DGDA — Directorate General of Drug Administration |
Open register
National drug regulatory authority under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. |
CMSD — Central Medical Stores Depot |
| Pakistan | DRAP — Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Publishes registered drug listings. Confirm the current lookup route. |
Provincial health departments |
| Sri Lanka | NMRA — National Medicines Regulatory Authority |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
SPC — State Pharmaceuticals Corporation |
| Nepal | DDA — Department of Drug Administration |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
East Asia
Three of the most demanding regulators in the world sit here. An approval from PMDA, MFDS or NMPA carries substantial weight in other markets.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | NMPA — National Medical Products Administration |
Open register
Maintains databases of approved domestic and imported drugs. Largely in Chinese. Also the authority behind Chinese GMP certification. |
Provincial centralised procurement platforms |
| Japan | PMDA — Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency |
Open register
Publishes approved product information and review reports, with an English section. PMDA approval is a strong credential in other markets. |
— |
| South Korea | MFDS — Ministry of Food and Drug Safety |
Open register
Publishes drug approval information. English section available. |
— |
| Taiwan | TFDA — Taiwan Food and Drug Administration |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Confirm the current public register route. |
— |
| Hong Kong | Department of Health — Drug Office |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Maintains a searchable register of pharmaceutical products. Significant as a re-export and trading hub as well as a market. |
Hospital Authority |
Australia & New Zealand
The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods is one of the clearest public registers anywhere — everything lawfully supplied in Australia is on it.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | TGA — Therapeutic Goods Administration |
Open register
ARTG — the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. If a product is lawfully supplied in Australia it is listed here. TGA is also a PIC/S member, so its GMP certification carries weight elsewhere. |
Department of Health tenders |
| New Zealand | Medsafe — New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority |
Open register
Publishes approved medicine data sheets and consented medicines listings. |
PHARMAC |
Europe & United Kingdom
Two routes coexist: centralised authorisation through the EMA valid across the EU, and national authorisations granted by member state agencies. A product may be on one register and not the other, so check both.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union (centralised) | EMA — European Medicines Agency |
Open register
Medicines authorised centrally for the whole EU, with assessment reports. The European Commission also maintains the Union Register of medicinal products. |
TED — Tenders Electronic Daily |
| United Kingdom | MHRA — Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency |
Open register
Public product information database covering medicines authorised in the UK. |
NHS Supply Chain / Find a Tender |
| Germany | BfArM — Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Maintains a national medicines information system. Confirm the current public lookup route. |
TED / statutory health insurance tenders |
| France | ANSM — Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Base de données publique des médicaments is maintained jointly by ANSM and the Ministry of Health. |
TED / UniHA |
| Spain | AEMPS — Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. CIMA is the public medicines information centre. Confirm the current route. |
TED / regional health services |
| Italy | AIFA — Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco |
Public lookup not confirmed —
contact the authority directly. Publishes an authorised medicines list. Confirm the current route. |
TED / CONSIP |
| EDQM (certification, not a market) | EDQM — European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines |
Open register
Issues CEP / Certificates of Suitability for API sources. If a supplier claims a CEP, EDQM can confirm it. Relevant to every market that accepts CEPs, not just Europe. |
— |
North America
Both regulators publish exceptionally complete public databases. FDA approval or a Health Canada DIN is verifiable in seconds, and both carry weight in other markets.
| Country | Regulatory authority | Public register — what you can check | Public procurement |
|---|---|---|---|
|
United States
PAHO reference |
FDA — Food and Drug Administration |
Open register
The Orange Book lists approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations, searchable by active ingredient, proprietary name, applicant, application number, dosage form, route or patent. Drugs@FDA and the NDC directory cover further ground. FDA is a PAHO regional reference authority. |
SAM.gov |
|
Canada
PAHO reference |
Health Canada |
Open register
Drug Product Database — all products authorised for sale in Canada, with DIN, company, dosage form and status. Health Canada is a PAHO regional reference authority. |
BuyandSell / CanadaBuys |
Regional references
-
PAHO Regional Reference Regulatory Authorities
Eight authorities designated by the Pan American Health Organization: ANMAT (Argentina), ANVISA (Brazil), Health Canada, ISP (Chile), INVIMA (Colombia), CECMED (Cuba), US FDA and COFEPRIS (Mexico). Approval by one of these carries weight across the region. -
Red EAMI — directory of Ibero-American medicines authorities
Maintained directory of regulatory authorities across Ibero-America. Useful when an agency has been renamed or restructured. -
PAHO Strategic Fund
Regional pooled procurement for member states. Eligibility rests on WHO Prequalification or approval by a regulatory authority of regional reference, rather than separate national registration in each purchasing country. -
AMRH — African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AUDA-NEPAD)
Continental harmonisation programme with country profiles for African regulators. Useful when an authority has been created, renamed or restructured — several have been. -
EAEU unified medicines register
Since January 2024, new registrations across Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are made under a single Eurasian Economic Union procedure rather than country by country. Products registered nationally were required to transition by end-2025. The same one-dossier logic as the RTCA bloc in Central America. -
WHO Prequalification
Lists prequalified medicines, vaccines and manufacturers. Relied on by UN agencies, the Global Fund and the PAHO Strategic Fund, and accepted or given weight by many national regulators. Publicly searchable.
Checking a supplier in four steps
- Look up the product in your own regulator's register. If a supplier says it is registered in your market, it will be there. If it is not, ask why before anything else.
- Check who holds the registration. In most markets the holder must be a locally established entity. Knowing who that is tells you who actually controls supply.
- Verify the GMP certificate with the issuing authority. It names the regulator and carries a reference number. A genuine certificate survives that call.
- Validate the CoPP with the exporting country's regulator. It is issued by them, in WHO format, and they can confirm it.
On the entries marked unconfirmed
Where a public lookup is not shown, it means we have confirmed the authority but not a working public search route — not that none exists. We would rather say so than publish a link that fails. Agencies also change: El Salvador's DNM became the SRS in 2024, and Uruguay is moving regulation to a new agency, AViSU. If you find something here out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Sourcing into one of these markets?
Tell us the molecule and the destination. We will come back on the regulatory pathway, what is registrable and what documentation you would receive — and you can check all of it above.
Submit a Requirement Country registration guides