The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) has asked the union commerce ministry to extend the date of implementation of barcoding on secondary packaging by six months to enable the exporters to adapt to the issue properly. As per the ministry's earlier notification, bar coding on secondary level packaging will be implemented in the country for the exporters with effect from January 1, 2013.

In a letter to the additional secretary, department of commerce, Pharmexcil chairman NR Munjal urged the commerce ministry to extend the date of implementation of bar coding on secondary packaging by six months “within which time the whole issue can be understood and properly equipped for implementation as per agreed terms”.

Earlier on December 10, in a last minute effort to drive their point that the implementation of bar coding on pharma exports is impracticable both economically as well as logistically, a high level industry delegation consisting of senior members of Pharmexcil and Indian Drug Manufacturers' Association (IDMA) had met senior commerce ministry officials in which the delegation explained in detail the several issues being faced by the industry for commencing implementation of bar coding on secondary packaging.

According to industry sources, there are several impediments coming in the way of implementation of bar coding, especially on secondary and primary level packaging. The exporters have to register their products with the importing country, and take necessary approvals of their regulators and comply with the regulatory requirements and languages that vary from country to country. Implementation of bar code will require them to make changes in their registration, which will involve committing a time line of a minimum of a year and above. Besides, the small and medium exporters cannot afford to buy new machine for the purpose which costs more than Rs.1 crore, exporters said.

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

And the ministry is bracing up to implement barcoding on secondary level packaging with effect from January 1, 2013 and on primary level packaging with effect from July 1, 2013.