The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has introduced stricter medicine tracking rules.
The new system will make barcodes and unique serial numbers mandatory on pharmaceutical and biological medicines.
The requirement will apply to medicines manufactured from October 19, 2026, according to the regulatory notification.
Barcodes Required on Medicine Packaging
Pharmaceutical manufacturers will have to print a unique serial number and barcode on medicine packaging.
Medicines without the required barcode will not be permitted for sale after the implementation deadline.
The system is designed to improve medicine traceability across the supply chain.
Authorities will be able to digitally track products from manufacturing until they reach patients.
DRAP Orders Industry to Prepare
DRAP has directed pharmaceutical companies to complete preparations before the new system takes effect.
Training workshops will also be organised for manufacturers in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The workshops will be conducted under the direction of the DRAP chairman.
The new framework is expected to strengthen monitoring and help authorities identify medicines throughout the distribution process.
Which Medicines Are Covered?
The serialization requirements apply to allopathic medicines, including biological products intended for human and veterinary use.
However, the rules do not apply in the same way to every product regulated by DRAP.
Alternative medicines, nutraceuticals, medical devices, medical gases and radiopharmaceuticals are outside the pharmaceutical serialization scope described under S.R.O. 963(I)/2026.
The distinction means the new requirement should not be interpreted as applying identically to every product regulated by DRAP.
