ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has warned pharmaceutical companies that their production facilities could be sealed if they fail to submit the required product data for a nationwide 2D barcode system aimed at combating counterfeit medicines.
Mustafa Kamal issued the warning during a review meeting in Islamabad, where officials assessed progress on introducing barcodes on medicine packaging.
He stressed that the government would not compromise on enforcing the technology, which is intended to improve medicine tracking and help prevent fake drugs from entering the market.
Officials told the meeting that 80% of pharmaceutical companies had already started the implementation process. The government will issue formal notices to companies that have not submitted their product information to the Ministry of National Health Services.
Companies that fail to meet the deadline will face legal action, the minister said. Mustafa Kamal further warned that pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities would be sealed if companies failed to provide the required data within the specified time.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), representatives of relevant institutions and key pharmaceutical industry stakeholders.
