A revolutionary initiative by the Ministry of Health has emerged to ensure the elimination of fake medicines across the country.
According to the Ministry of Health spokesperson, the federal cabinet has formally approved the implementation of a Track and Trace System for medicines nationwide.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that necessary amendments to the Drug Labelling and Packing Rules 1978 have been approved in this regard. He stated that this decision is a major and historic step towards eliminating fake medicines in Pakistan, as for the first time every medicine will be digitally tracked and verified.
He said that under this system, fake, substandard and counterfeit medicines will be identified and eliminated. After the implementation of the system, consumers will be able to easily access authentic information regarding a medicine’s expiry date and price.
He further stated that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan will implement this modern system across the country. Under the new regulations, all pharmaceutical companies and importers will be required to place standardized 2D barcodes and serialization data on every medicine pack. This important decision has been taken to make Pakistan’s pharmaceutical supply chain safer and more reliable.
Mustafa Kamal said that Pakistan’s medicine regulatory system is being modernized. The implementation of the Track and Trace System will establish a strong and effective barrier against fake medicines, and Pakistan will emerge as a leading country in the region in adopting modern technology.
The Federal Health Minister added that this system will replace traditional monitoring methods with a modern digital mechanism, ensuring the protection of public health, lives and trust. DRAP will soon issue technical guidelines to facilitate the industry, and consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders have already been held.
