An automatic drug packaging machine and package-less verification system together with methods and apparatus. In embodiments, the system may include an automatic drug packaging machine for packaging one or more drug into ones of separate pouch packages forming a pouch package web. Each pouch package may include information, a machine-readable code, and have a side through which each packaged drug is viewable. An imager adjacent the web is provided to capture an image of each packaged drug within the pouch package. In embodiments, a code reader adjacent the web may read the pouch package machine-readable code. The code reader may be associated with the imager. In an embodiment, the machine-readable code is compared with an expected code for the pouch package and image information of each packaged drug within the pouch package is compared with a reference image corresponding to each packaged drug for a match. In such embodiment, data may be generated for the pouch package responsive to whether the codes match and whether the images match to provide a verification of the pouch package if the comparisons match and, alternatively, a non-verification of the pouch package if at least one of the comparisons do not match.
