The pharmaceutical industry in the country can profit from recent barcode implementation as transparency in supply chain will stall drug recalls. The central government had recently brought the Drugs (Eighth Amendment) Rules, 2022 mandating barcode or quick response (QR) code on the label of top 300 brands of formulations from August 1, 2023. The barcode will identify misbranded or counterfeit medicines and recall the products if its quality gets compromised during manufacturing, and the pharma companies are seen to gain from this&nbsp;implementation. According to Dinesh Pilgaokar, Executive Vice President &amp; Chief Customer Officer, Bar Code India, “In the battle against counterfeit drugs, advanced barcode technology emerged as a beacon of hope. With the help of technology, firms can expedite processes and make more informed decisions with better scanning capabilities and real-time data tracking. This technology has the potential to revolutionize supply chain management, inventory control, and customer service, resulting in enhanced profitability and consumer happiness. As developments in barcode technology continue, the future looks bright for firms that embrace these advancements”. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), counterfeit drugs constitute around 10% of the global pharmaceutical market, posing a serious threat to public health and safety. As a result, to tackle this menace, the pharmaceutical sector has turned to technical developments. Among several advancements, advanced barcode technology has emerged as a potential solution and a powerful instrument for preserving the supply chain's integrity and protecting patients from the dangers of counterfeit medications. So, let’s delve into the advantages and implementation strategies of advanced barcode technology in fighting counterfeit drugs, he added. The benefit of modern barcode technology is the ability to check the authenticity of pharmaceutical products. In this regard, each medicine packaging is assigned a unique barcode that contains important information such as the manufacturing date, batch number, and expiration date. By scanning these barcodes, patients and healthcare providers may easily authenticate drugs and ensure they receive genuine medications, Pilgaokar told Pharmabiz in an email. Advanced barcode technology allows drugs to be tracked in real time as they move through the supply chain. This traceability aids in detecting counterfeit medications, protecting patients from injury, providing stakeholders with critical data on drug transit, and assisting with inventory management and quality control. Since the rise of digitisation, it has become much easier to distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals through illegal channels, such as unregulated online pharmacies or criminal distribution networks in the market. This is where advanced barcode technology can assist in preventing drug diversion and counterfeiting by creating a secure, digital trail of a drug's journey from manufacturer to patient, he noted. ﻿Integrating sophisticated barcode technology with existing supply chain systems is critical. As a result, pharmaceutical businesses must invest in the infrastructure required to generate and scan barcodes throughout the supply chain, from manufacturing to distribution. Indeed, healthcare personnel are critical to the success of advanced barcode technology. As a result, training programs should be devised to teach them how to use barcode scanning instruments to verify the legitimacy of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, collaboration with regulatory agencies is also essential for successfully applying advanced barcode technology. As a result, governments and industry organisations should collaborate to develop and implement legislation mandating the use of sophisticated barcodes in the pharmaceutical industry, said Pilgaokar.

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The pharmaceutical industry in the country can profit from recent barcode implementation as transparency in supply chain will stall drug recalls.