Health Minister announces major reform to fight fake medicines and improve quality control
KARACHI:
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal on Saturday announced that Pakistan will introduce a barcoding system for all medicines in the next 60 days, as part of a major initiative to eliminate counterfeit and substandard medicines and ensure quality control in the pharmaceutical sector.
Speaking at an event during his visit to the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) headquarters, the minister said that all preparations for the nationwide implementation of the system have been completed by the Health Ministry and relevant institutions.
He said the barcode system would enable complete traceability of medicines, ensure availability of genuine medicines to patients and help eliminate counterfeit products from the market.
He said Pakistan currently produces 85 percent of its needed medicines locally, but nearly 99 percent of raw materials are imported, mainly from China, posing a major economic challenge. He stressed the need for local production of pharmaceutical raw materials to reduce dependence on imports.
