Question : Bar Coding of Drugs

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state :

(a) whether the Government has any proposal for bar coding of drugs;
(b) if so, the details and objectives thereof;
(c) the manner in which bar coding is likely to be beneficial in preventing sale of spurious/substandard drugs and over charging of medicines in the country;
(d) whether the Government recognise the threat to public health arising from asymmetry in codifying drugs between different manufacturers and service providers and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps proposed to be taken by the Government to tackle the problem of information asymmetry in the manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs without codes?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS; MINISTRY OF SHIPPING AND MINISRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA)

(a) to (e) The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued a draft notification on 03-06-2015 vide GSR 449(E) to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 to make barcoding of primary, secondary and tertiary level packing mandatory for manufacturers of drug formulation. However, the notification was not finalized keeping in view the reservations expressed by manufacturers including regarding the high cost of bar coding. Copy of the notification is at Annexure.

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