ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is moving closer to eliminating counterfeit and substandard drugs with the planned rollout of a pharma track-and-trace system this year, sources said.
DRAP has set an Oct 9 deadline for implementing a barcode system on medicine packs, according to sources. Pharma companies across the country have been directed to adopt barcoding and serialization.
The system will apply to both human and veterinary drug manufacturers, sources added. DRAP will be responsible for enforcing the track-and-trace regime all over Pakistan.
Drug makers and importers will be required to print 2D barcodes with serialization data on every pack, sources said. DRAP has issued letters to the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association, Pakistan Veterinary Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association, Pharma Bureau, and the Pakistan Chemists and Druggists Association. Similar notices have gone to DG Drug Control and Chief Drug Inspectors in the provinces, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Companies must complete arrangements for the track-and-trace system before Oct 9, the letter states. Printing of 2D barcodes on medicine packaging will be mandatory.
The federal cabinet has already approved the system in principle and cleared amendments to the Drug Labeling and Packing Rules, 1978.
Officials say consumers will be able to verify medicines themselves using the 2D barcode on the pack. The system is expected to make it possible to identify and remove fake or substandard drugs, and will also allow users to check a product’s expiry date, usage instructions, and price.
DRAP has completed consultations with stakeholders on the pharma track-and-trace system, sources said.
