ISLAMABAD: While the health ministry has been working on a barcode system to verify the authenticity of medicines, the pharmaceutical industry has suggested that the deadline for adopting the system should be made realistic in line with the industry’s requirements.

It cautioned that several genuine products may vanish from the market if the manufacturers did not have the necessary 2D barcode printing equipment.

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (North) Chairman Usman Shaukat said the 2D barcode system was a positive step for the welfare of patients.

“However, the entire pharmaceutical industry is not equipped with the requisite printing equipment to adapt the barcode on all products and the deadline for the adoption of the system should be made as per industry’s requirements,” he suggested.

Mr Shaukat said the deadline for implementation should be set in consultation with the industry.

It is worth mentioning that because of the new system, buyers with smartphones will be able to verify medicines and their prices. As per the project, pharmaceutical companies will have to print a barcode on the packets of medicines.

The barcode is similar with those printed on products to identify their prices in departmental stores.

However, the code which will be printed on the packets of medicines will be two-dimensional as compared to the single-dimensional codes which are printed on goods.

Buyers will get information about the name of the product, maker’s name, batch number, expiry date and the price.

They will also be able to verify the drug. The software will not identify the barcode of spurious medicine.

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal this week directed to accelerate the pace of the project and submit reports to his office on a weekly basis.

Chairing a meeting, which was attended by the secretary health and Chief Executive Officer of Drap Dr Obaidullah Malik, the minister claimed that the system will eliminate the sale of spurious and counterfeit medicines.

According to an official of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), rules have been almost finalised and soon will be sent to the federal cabinet for approval.

“Once rules are approved, the process for the implementation will be started. The industry will be defiantly taken onboard,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2025