The Union commerce ministry will not press for implementation of barcode for primary packaging on exports of pharmaceutical products from the scheduled date of July 1 this year as it feels that the existing tertiary and primary packaging have met the purpose of barcoding.

According to the sources in the ministry, the barcoding system both for the tertiary and secondary level packaging were doing well to ensure the quality of exported pharma products and there was no immediate necessity to impose the primary level barcoding which would be technically complex and financially cumbersome.

“As long as the purpose is met through the secondary and tertiary level barcoding, there is no need for the primary packaging, though we are not ruling out the same. Besides, it is a costly affair for the industry,” joint secretary in the commerce ministry Sudhanshu Pandey said.

The commerce ministry is learnt to have gathered inputs about the compliance of the barcoding norms for secondary and tertiary level packaging by the industry, and is satisfied with the success of the same. Besides, industry associations have been urging the ministry to drop the plan.

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, 2012 and for secondary level packaging from January 1 last year. The barcode packaging regulations at the primary level is slated to take effect from July 1, 2014. A barcode helps in tracking and tracing the origin of drugs which in turn helps in minimising chances of genuine drugs being considered spurious, sub-standard or counterfeit.

However, the exporters have pointed out that the primary level barcoding is practically impossible, especially for small products like injections, apart from causing heavy burden on the exporters who are already hit by increasing registration costs and other non-tariff trade barriers by the developed markets. They also claim that no other country has made it compulsory for exports.

Recently the government has simplified the barcoding procedure by introducing self-certification for barcoding of secondary and tertiary level packaging of drugs which are exported from India to different countries including the regulated markets.