The top 300 brands of drugs, including commonly used analgesics, vitamin supplements, anti-platelet medicines, pain relievers, blood-sugar-lowering medicines, and contraceptive tablets, have been shortlisted by India’s drug pricing authority and will be required to add QR codes to their packages in order to guarantee provenance and facilitate tracing.
Saridon Fabiflu, Ecosprin, Dolo, Limcee, Sumo, Corex Syrup, Unwanted 72, Calpol, and Thyronorm are among the brands recognised by the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) of India.
According to reports from market research firm Pharmatrac, these brands were picked based on their moving yearly turnover value. The list has been forwarded to India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which will change the drug laws as needed. The ministry had asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to nominate the top 300 pharmaceuticals in March so that they could include them in the proposed declaration and make the necessary changes to the medicine rules for execution, a senior Indian government official explained.
Each active pharmaceutical ingredient (API; bulk drug) produced or shipped in India shall carry a quick response code on its label at each tier, packaging that stores information or data readable with software program to facilitate tracking, the union health ministry stated earlier this year. According to industry insiders, the new regulations will impact medium and small businesses.
It would take a bunch of additional effort and cost for small and medium businesses to make such adjustments on packaging, an industry expert said on the requested anonymity. Since 2011, the Indian government has been attempting to implement QR codes. Pharmaceutical businesses and lobbying groups have expressed worries about several sets of tracking and monitoring instructions issued by various departments, and had requested a single QR code system.
