ISLAMABAD: Within a month, pharmaceutical businesses are required by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to print barcodes on the packaging of all imported and domestic medications.
By April 20, the companies must comply with the directions provided for all pharmaceutical and biological medicines intended for human use.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) Policy Board convened its 51st meeting on Wednesday in Islamabad, where the decision was reached.
The divisional directors of the authority, Drap CEO Dr. Asim Rauf, and the board members were present at the meeting, which was presided over by the federal health secretary.
With smartphones, citizens will be able to scan QR codes to confirm the legitimacy and pricing of medications.
The action was taken to guarantee the “provision of quality medicines and eradication of spurious/falsified drugs,” according to a statement released by the health ministry.
“The board also instructed Drap to ensure compliance by closely monitoring it and by taking all necessary steps, including legal action.”
This program underscores the significance of supply chain management in the pharmaceutical sector and “aligns with global practices and standards.”
The statement went on to say that the authority was dedicated to safeguarding Pakistan’s drug supply’s quality and safety as well as shielding the populace from phony goods. Through the use of mobile cellphones, citizens will be able to scan barcodes to verify the costs and availability of medications through the implementation of a worldwide identification code system.
Pharmaceutical firms will be able to monitor the flow of medications and recall them in the event of a complaint.
The system has been under development for nearly ten years. In 2015, the NHS ministry and Drap began implementing barcodes, claiming that doing so will end the selling of counterfeit medications and reduce overpricing.
March 2017, two years later, the ministry declared that the project was on the federal cabinet meeting’s agenda for approval.
QR codes
A representative from the health ministry described the system as being similar to department stores in that products’ prices are verified using single-dimensional, or 1D, barcodes.
According to the official, who asked not to be named, pharmaceutical companies will have to use two-dimensional barcodes, or 2D barcodes, often known as QR codes, on the packaging of their drugs.
Customers will be able to obtain details about the product, including its maker, batch number, expiration date, and price, by scanning the 2D barcodes on it.
The procedure is designed to “identify the barcode” of a fake medication.
“People who don’t have smartphones can ask the owner of the medical store or anyone else to help them check the medication,” he stated.
Additionally, there are occasionally concerns about a fungus or medication containing an undesired ingredient. The official stated, “It will get easier for the concerned corporation to monitor the medication’s flow and recall it.
The official told Dawn that the barcodes will also assist government hospitals, which buy medications in bulk, in monitoring the availability and expiration dates of medications.
The official declared, “The sale of fake drugs will be eliminated because of the barcode,” adding that Pakistan
In order to design the new system, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Pharma Bureau, and other stakeholders were involved.
“Because it served their own interests, they were willing to introduce the barcode.”
The official responded to a query by saying that at first, using the scratch able barcodes was suggested. But the plan was shelved due to its high cost.
