Federal cabinet clears digital tracking system for medicines

ISLAMABAD:

In a major move aimed at strengthening public health safeguards and protecting consumers from counterfeit medicines, the federal cabinet has approved the nationwide implementation of a Track & Trace System for pharmaceutical products across Pakistan, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal announced on Tuesday.

The cabinet has also approved the necessary amendments to the Drug Labelling and Packing Rules, 1978, paving the way for the introduction of a modern digital system to track and verify medicines throughout the supply chain.

"This decision marks a major and historic step towards eliminating counterfeit, fake, and substandard medicines from Pakistan," said Kamal. "For the first time, every medicine in the country will be digitally traceable and verifiable, ensuring greater transparency, safety, and accountability."

Under the new regulatory framework, all pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers will be required to place standardised 2D barcodes and serialisation data on medicine packaging.

The system will enable regulators to monitor medicines from production to consumption, helping identify and eliminate counterfeit products from the market.

The minister said that once the system is implemented, consumers will be able to access authentic information regarding a medicine's expiry date, price and verification status, enabling them to make informed healthcare decisions and enhancing public confidence in the pharmaceutical sector.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) will oversee the nationwide rollout of the Track & Trace System and issue detailed technical guidelines to facilitate compliance across the pharmaceutical industry.

Consultative meetings with relevant stakeholders have already been held to ensure a smooth transition to the new framework.

Kamal said the initiative would significantly strengthen the security and quality of Pakistan's pharmaceutical supply chain by replacing conventional monitoring mechanisms with a modern digital framework.