Union Health Ministry Expands QR Code-Based Drug Traceability Framework to Vaccines, Antimicrobials and Anti-Cancer Medicines

India, June 25 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

In a major step towards strengthening the quality, safety and integrity of India's pharmaceutical supply chain, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to expand the ambit of Schedule H2 and bring additional categories of drugs under the QR Code-based track and trace framework.

Under the amended provisions, all vaccines, antimicrobials, narcotic and psychotropic drugs covered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and all anti-cancer drugs have been included under Schedule H2 of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Schedule H2 provides for the affixation of a Bar Code or Quick Response (QR) Code on the packa...