Even as the barcode issue is still pending in the Madras High Court, the Union commerce ministry has once again extended the implementation of the second and third phases of barcoding by another six months. Now, the ministry will implement the barcoding from January 1, 2013.

This is for the second time the commerce ministry is extending the deadline for the implementation of barcoding for the pharma exporters in the country. Earlier in January this year, after the intervention of the Madras High Court, the commerce ministry had extended the implementation of the second and third phases of barcoding by six months, that is from July 1 this year.

As per the commerce ministry's notification dated January 10, 2011, barcoding was to be enforced in the country in phased manner from October 1 last year. The trace and track technology has been made compulsory for tertiary level packaging from October 1 last year and that on secondary level packaging was to be made compulsory from January 1, 2012 and the new system was to be made mandatory on primary level packaging from July 1, 2012.

But, there was stiff resistance from the industry to the commerce ministry's decision. Ever since the ministry rolled out its plans, the industry has literally been on warpath against the ministry's decision. In fact, the industry has been running from pillar to post to convince the commerce ministry officials to see reason as they argued that the implementation of barcoding on secondary level packaging will entail a string of regulatory, technical as well as cost issues which will harm the pharma exporters in the country.

Burt, the industry's repeated pleas to defer the barcode implementation fell on the deaf ears of the officials of the commerce ministry, forcing the industry to turn to the last resort of moving court.

Thus, the industry moved Madras high court on December 19 last year, and the court stayed the second phase of barcode implementation. The court was jointly moved by Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (CIPI) and Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA).

The commerce ministry has already implemented the first phase of barcoding on pharma exporters under which the trace and track technology has been made compulsory for tertiary level packaging from October 1 last year.