India mulls QR code implementation in domestic pharma market

In a move that will help ensure sub-standard or counterfeit drugs do not reach customers, India's Health Ministry is looking to make it mandatory for companies to include codes to track-and-trace key ingredients used to make medicines in India.

The move will potentially be the first step by the government to pinpoint the origin and movement of drugs manufactured in the country and ensure their authenticity. Plans are also afoot to bring barcode/quick response (QR) codes with an aim to ensure a traceability mechanism to track the genuineness of products in the domestic market.

Confirming the move, a government official said the government has set up a committee to ensure that all medicine packs come with a unique QR code, which will help trace the source and affirm the authenticity of products.

A draft amendment mandating QR codes at 'each level' of packaging of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), used to give medicines their therapeutic effect, is to be notified soon, said the senior Health Ministry official.

Move follows DTAB recommendation