Shafaqna Pakistan: On Tuesday, the federal cabinet approved the nationwide rollout of a Track and Trace System for pharmaceutical products and also endorsed amendments to the Drug Labelling and Packing Rules, 1978, in an effort to curb counterfeit and substandard medicines.
According to a Press Information Department (PID) statement, the digital system will, for the first time, enable medicines to be tracked and verified across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain, improving transparency, safety, and regulatory oversight.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal termed the decision a “major and historic step” in the fight against fake medicines in Pakistan. He said that every medicine in the country would now be digitally traceable and verifiable, strengthening transparency, safety, and accountability in the sector.
Under the revised framework, all pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers will be required to place standardised two-dimensional (2D) barcodes and serialisation data on medicine packaging. The system will enable regulators to monitor medicines from production to consumption and identify counterfeit, falsified and substandard products more effectively.
The minister said the initiative would bring unprecedented transparency to Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector while strengthening public confidence in medicines available in the market.
Consumers are also expected to benefit directly from the system. Once implemented, the public will be able to access verified information regarding a medicine’s expiry date, price and authenticity, enabling them to make more informed healthcare decisions.
The nationwide rollout will be overseen by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, which will issue technical guidelines for pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers. The government said consultations with industry stakeholders have already been conducted to facilitate implementation.
Kamal said the Track and Trace System would significantly strengthen the security and integrity of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical supply chain by replacing conventional monitoring methods with a modern digital framework. “The Track and Trace System will establish a strong and effective barrier against counterfeit medicines and help protect public health, lives and trust,” he said.
The government said the initiative is part of broader efforts to modernise pharmaceutical regulation, improve accountability across the supply chain and ensure that medicines reaching consumers are genuine, safe and properly regulated.
According to the minister, the adoption of advanced regulatory technologies will also position Pakistan among the leading countries in the region in terms of pharmaceutical oversight and drug safety standards.
Source: Express Tribune
