The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) recently made a representation to the Commerce Ministry urging them to consider adopting 1D barcodes on pharma packaging instead of 2D barcodes for all exports of pharmaceutical products from the country. The suggestions were submitted to the government based on the expert recommendations made by the Committee of Administration (CoA), after deliberation and discussion with all the stakeholders from across the country.

Interestingly, the trace and track technology which was adopted by the government to address the issues and apprehensions about the export of spurious drugs from India, was made compulsory for tertiary level packaging from October 1 last year. The latest directive of the commerce ministry states that the implementation of the second and third phases of barcoding would be made compulsory from January 1 and July 1, 2013 respectively. However, the industry maintains that they require more time to adapt to these changes, as it is a cumbersome and an economically unviable process for them.

After detailed analyses of the current situation, the committee observed that 1D barcode was more practicable solution for the industry, compared to 2D, that too only for the secondary packaging. The council clearly stressed that it was technically as well as economically not feasible for the industry to adopt bar coding for primary level products at all. Dr P V Appaji, director general, Pharmexcil, said, “We are trying our level best to find a solution that is not only affordable to the industry but is also mutually agreeable. We are again planning to arrange a meeting with the stakeholders in the coming month to further discuss on this matter and are open for any suggestions that may help the industry at large.”

Further, he informed that the council in its representation to the government has also suggested exempting the merchant exporters from bar coding completely as the industry is mainly made up of small scale and medium level enterprises who will find it very difficult to adapt to these changes. They are also trying to get some incentives from the government for the same, so that it will be easier for them.