(a) the status and details of the Government initiative to make it mandatory for using of barcodes for medical supplies; and
(b) the current mechanism/s by which the Government tracks the supplies of medicines under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to remote rural areas,
especially in the light of reports of the rampant availability of fake medicines?
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a) As per Public Notices issued by DGFT, exporters of pharmaceutical
products are required to affix barcodes on their export products to
facilitate tracing and tracking. The barcode requirements for this
purpose apply to packaging at Primary, Secondary and Tertiary levels.
The Tertiary Level requirements have come into effect from 1.10.2011.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has also laid down
the barcode requirements and implementation timelines for the
medicines/drugs (except medical devices & equipments) procured by
it under various programmes for supply and distribution through
MoHFW regulated distribution channel (PHCs, CHCs/FRUs, Govt.
hospitals etc.).
(b) The medicines for distribution under various national health
programmes are mainly procured centrally by the MoHFW and distributed
to states. The supplies are tracked by the procurement and programme
divisions of the MoHFW as well as by the states. Further, to ensure
procurement of quality drugs, certain norms are followed in the
tender process, such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliance,
valid manufacturing/import license, pre-dispatch quality control
manufacturing and marketing experience, minimum turnover criteria, etc.