Drugmakers get more time to join ‘Track and Trace’ system for exports

Source: The post is based on the article “Drugmakers get more time to join ‘Track and Trace’ system for exports” published in The Hindu on 8th April 2023

What is the News?

The Central government has extended the date for implementation of the track and trace system for exports of drug formulations till August 1,2023.

What is a Track and Trace system?

Track & Trace system is a software-based solution to track vehicles, loading units, shipments or products throughout the entire supply chain from supplier to consumer.

This system for the export of pharmaceuticals consignments is being implemented as a measure to address counterfeit and product recall challenges. 

Under this system, the manufacturer or the exporter of drug formulations would have to print the barcode as per global standards at different packaging levels — primary, secondary and tertiary — to facilitate tracking and tracing of their products.

Barcoding will help in tracking and tracing the origin of drugs, which minimizes the chances of genuine medicines being considered spurious, sub-standard or counterfeit.