Cabinet approves track- and-trace system for drugs

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Health Services and Regulation Mustafa Kamal announced on Thursday that the federal cabinet had approved the implementation of a nationwide track-and-trace system for medicines, saying it was a landmark initiative aimed at eliminating counterfeit, substandard, and fake drugs from the country.

The step will ensure that every medicine being sold in the country is safe, effective, transparent, digitally traceable, and verifiable, which is a must for bringing accountability from manufacturers to sellers. The Minister stated that once implemented, consumers will be able to access authentic information regarding a medicine’s expiry date, price, and verification status, empowering them to make informed healthcare decisions and enhancing public trust in the pharmaceutical sector.

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According to a health ministry spokesperson, the cabinet has also approved the necessary amendments to the Drug Labeling and Packing Rules, 1978, enabling the introduction of a modern digital system for tracking and verifying medicines throughout the supply chain. Under the new regulatory framework, all pharmaceutical manufacturers and importers will be required to place standardised 2D barcodes and serialisation data on medicine packaging.

The system will enable regulators to monitor medicines from production to consumption, helping identify and eliminate counterfeit products from the market. The minister said the decision represented a major and historic step towards ensuring the availability of safe and authentic medicines in Pakistan. “This decision marks a major and historic step towards eliminating counterfeit, fake, and substandard medicines from Pakistan,” Kamal said.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) will oversee the nationwide rollout of the Track and Trace System.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026