(LiveMint)
India’s highest advisory body on drugs will discuss a mechanism to end the menace of fake medicines at a meeting on 16 May. According to the proposal to be discussed at the Drug Technical Advisory Board meeting, consumers will be able to check whether the medicines that they have purchased are genuine by texting a unique code to be printed on the medicine’s package to a number, said two people aware of the matter, both of whom requested anonymity.
The government plans to initially build a data bank of 300 medicine brands and their consumption pattern in various parts of the country. Drug companies will then be asked to print a unique 14-digit alphanumeric code on the package of the drug. Consumers buying the medicine can then inquire via a text message whether the code—and therefore the medicine—is genuine or not, the people said. “The unique identification code will help consumers avoid buying fake products. The idea is that within seconds, the person should receive a reply indicating whether the drug is legitimate,” said a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
