KARACHI: Pakistan will launch a nationwide barcode and QR code-based medicine verification system within the next 60 days, enabling citizens to authenticate medicines through their mobile phones and helping authorities combat counterfeit and substandard drugs.
The announcement was made by Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Syed Mustafa Kamal, during his visit to the office of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), where he was welcomed by the association's senior leadership and met representatives of the country's pharmaceutical industry.
Speaking to industry representatives, the health minister said concerns about counterfeit medicines and uncertainty regarding the authenticity of medicines sold in the market have persisted for years and require a permanent technological solution.
He announced that Pakistan is introducing a nationwide barcode and QR code system under which citizens will be able to scan medicines using their mobile phones and instantly verify whether a medicine is genuine.
"The barcode and QR code system will be formally launched across the country within the next 60 days, allowing citizens to verify medicines through their mobile phones," Mustafa Kamal said.
Health officials say the initiative is expected to strengthen medicine safety, improve transparency across the pharmaceutical supply chain, and empower consumers to make informed healthcare decisions.
The latest announcement marks the next phase of Pakistan's broader pharmaceutical digitization drive.
As previously reported by Medical News Pakistan on June 2, the federal cabinet had approved the nationwide implementation of a Track and Trace System for pharmaceutical products, alongside amendments to the Drug Labeling and Packing Rules, 1978, laying the legal foundation for digital medicine tracking and verification across the country.
Under the approved framework, pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers will be required to place standardized two-dimensional (2D) barcodes and serialization data on medicine packaging, making medicines digitally traceable throughout the supply chain.
The system is designed to enable regulators to monitor medicines from manufacturing facilities to pharmacies and ultimately to consumers, helping identify counterfeit, fake, substandard, diverted, or illegally distributed products.
At the time, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal had described the initiative as:
"A major and historic step towards eliminating counterfeit, fake and substandard medicines from Pakistan."
During his interaction with pharmaceutical industry representatives, the health minister also disclosed that the federal cabinet has approved Pakistan's first comprehensive national vaccine policy.
Highlighting the strategic importance of Karachi to the country's pharmaceutical sector, Mustafa Kamal noted that approximately 80 percent of Pakistan's pharmaceutical industry is based in Karachi.
The minister also referred to broader public health challenges facing the country, including water contamination, maternal mortality, and population growth, emphasizing the need for structural reforms and stronger health systems.
Counterfeit and substandard medicines remain a major global public health concern and are particularly dangerous in low- and middle-income countries, where regulatory oversight and supply chain monitoring can be vulnerable to illegal distribution networks.
Public health experts say digital traceability and medicine serialization systems have become increasingly important worldwide because they improve medicine safety, strengthen regulatory enforcement, and restore public confidence in pharmaceutical supply chains.
The planned rollout of Pakistan's barcode and QR code verification system is expected to become one of the country's most significant pharmaceutical regulatory reforms, providing patients, regulators, and healthcare providers with a new digital mechanism to verify medicines and reduce the risk posed by counterfeit drugs.
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