Dolo-650, Allegra among 300 drugs to now have QR codes to tackle counterfeits: Report

Starting August 1, top pharmaceutical brands such as Dolo-650, Allegra and Asthalin will sport a quick response (QR) code on their packaging.

The move comes after the Centre mandated the top 300 pharmaceutical brands to include a quick response (QR) code on their packaging to tackle counterfeit drugs and enhance traceability.

The QR codes will be printed on batches produced from August 1, Viranchi Shah, National President of the Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association, told the Business Standard.

Popular brands like Dolo-650, Allegra, Asthalin, Augmentin, Saridon, Limcee, Calpol, Corex, Thyronorm, and Unwanted-72 are among those that have been chosen based on their volume of sales and consumption, as well as the turnover of the companies manufacturing them.

Also Read | India pharma exports surging despite cough syrup deaths

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), which represents some of the country's largest pharmaceutical firms and accounts for 60 per cent of the domestic market sales, said that the industry is ready for the switch. That sentiment has been echoed by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries as well as GSK, two of the largest drug-makers.

Industry sources anticipate a slight cost increase of 5-7 per cent and a minor delay in batch production due to the additional printing step.

“The industry has already met the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and voiced its concerns. We have requested considering the fact that there will be a cost escalation due to this step, and most of these drugs are already under price control,” a source told the publication.

The process began last March when the Union Health Ministry under Dr Mansukh Mandaviya asked the Department of Pharmaceuticals to prepare a list of 300 drugs as a starting point, after which the NPPA made the final selection, cutting across a range of popularly used drugs. The final notification was issued in November of last year, mandating the printing of the QR code on the packaging.

According to the publication, the QR codes will contain important information such as the product identification code, drug names, manufacturer details, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, and licensing number.