# Medicine barcodes mandatory from 9 October, DRAP confirms; app to check fake medicines coming Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/health/drap-medicine-barcode-rule-what-changes-for-you) Type: News article Author: Searchable Editorial Published: 24 Sept 2026 Updated: 16 Oct 2026 Retrieved: 16 Oct 2026 > DRAP's circular says every medicine made or imported from 9 October needs a 2D barcode and serial number, while older stock stays on sale. The health minister says an app will let you check a pack is genuine. **Update, Friday 16 October 2026: DRAP confirms the barcode rule started on 9 October.** In a circular dated 8 October, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan said every registered drug **manufactured locally or imported on or after 9 October 2026** must carry a **2D Data Matrix barcode and serial number** under S.R.O. 963(I)/2026. Batches made or imported before 9 October are exempt and **remain allowed for import, distribution and sale**. DRAP warned of legal action against companies that do not comply ([DRAP circular](https://www.dra.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/doc_20261008125350286.pdf)). Separately, DRAP has notified probiotics, supplements, disinfectants and medicated soaps and shampoos as therapeutic goods: [what that covers](/news/health/drap-brings-probiotics-supplements-disinfectants-and-medicated-soaps-under-drug). **Thursday 15 October 2026: a phone app to check if a medicine is fake.** Federal health minister **Mustafa Kamal** said on Thursday that pharmacies, medical stores and ordinary citizens will be able to use a **mobile application** to check whether a medicine is genuine, and to see its **price and expiry date**, by scanning its 2D barcode, [Business Recorder reported](https://www.brecorder.com/news/40444491/2d-barcode-system-implemented-to-eradicate-fake-medicines-kamal). The report did not give the app's name. At the meeting he chaired, Kamal said: - Local and multinational companies must print **2D barcodes and serial numbers** on packaging, and **imported medicines cannot be sold without a 2D barcode**. - The system also covers **veterinary and poultry medicines**. - DRAP has finished training company representatives and other stakeholders. The report quotes the minister as saying every medicine **manufactured after 9 October** must carry 2D barcodes, which matches DRAP's own circular. You will see barcoded and older packs side by side for months, so keep checking batch numbers against [recall alerts](/news/health/medicine-recall-alerts-pakistan). From **9 October 2026**, every allopathic medicine and biological product made in or brought into Pakistan must carry a **barcode with a unique serial number** on its pack. The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has notified the rule through **S.R.O. 963(I)/2026**, and medicines made or imported from that date without the barcode cannot be sold. Stock made before 9 October can still be sold. ## What changes on the pack - Each pack gets its own **2D barcode** holding a unique serial number, so a single box of tablets can be traced from the factory line to the pharmacy counter. - The rule covers **allopathic medicines** and **biological products** (vaccines, insulin and the like) for both **human and veterinary** use. - It does **not** cover alternative medicines (herbal, homeopathic, Unani), nutraceuticals and supplements, medical devices, medical gases or radiopharmaceuticals. - It applies to medicines **manufactured or imported from 9 October**. Stock already made before that date will stay on shelves until it sells out or expires, so you will see packs with and without barcodes side by side for a while. The federal cabinet approved the change to the Drugs Labelling and Packing Rules, 1978 in June with a 9 October start, and DRAP's 8 October circular confirms that date. ## What it means for you at the pharmacy The point of serialisation is to catch **fake and substandard medicines**. A counterfeit pack either has no valid serial number, or reuses one that the system has already seen elsewhere. When DRAP's system is running, the plan is that you can **scan the 2D code with your phone** to check the medicine is genuine and see its expiry date and the official price. That last part matters in Karachi, Lahore and smaller towns alike: overcharging above the printed maximum retail price is a common complaint, and a scannable official price gives you something to point to. Until the consumer app is live, keep doing what works: 1. Buy from a licensed pharmacy and ask for a receipt. 2. Check the batch number and expiry printed on the pack. 3. Check the batch against DRAP's recall alerts before you use it. We keep them on one page: [medicine recall alerts in Pakistan](/news/health/medicine-recall-alerts-pakistan), including this week's DryGlit syrup recall. ## What manufacturers have to do DRAP has told pharmaceutical companies and importers to get their packaging lines ready and will run training workshops in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, the veterinary manufacturers' association and provincial drug controllers were notified in June. ## Will medicine prices go up? The SRO does not change any price. Serialisation adds a printing and data cost at the factory, and manufacturers may raise it in future price-review requests, but any increase still has to be approved under DRAP's pricing rules. We will update this story when DRAP names the consumer verification app. Correction, 16 October 2026: earlier versions of this story said the barcode rule applies to medicines made from 19 October 2026 and that the SRO set that date. DRAP's circular of 8 October 2026 says the requirement applies to drugs manufactured or imported on or after 9 October 2026, with earlier batches exempt. ## Frequently asked questions **How can I check if a medicine is fake in Pakistan?** Health minister Mustafa Kamal said on 15 October 2026 that citizens and pharmacies will be able to scan a medicine's 2D barcode in a mobile app to check it is genuine and see its price and expiry. Until then, buy from licensed pharmacies and check batch numbers against DRAP recall alerts. **When do barcodes become mandatory on medicines in Pakistan?** From 9 October 2026, for registered drugs manufactured or imported on or after that date, under S.R.O. 963(I)/2026, according to DRAP's circular of 8 October 2026. Batches made or imported before 9 October are exempt and can still be sold. **Which products are exempt from DRAP's barcode rule?** Alternative medicines, nutraceuticals, medical devices, medical gases and radiopharmaceuticals. ## Sources - DRAP circular: Compliance of 2D barcoding and serialization for all manufactured and imported pharmaceutical products w.e.f. 9 October 2026 (8 Oct 2026) (Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan): https://www.dra.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/doc_20261008125350286.pdf - 2D barcode system implemented to eradicate fake medicines: Kamal (16 Oct 2026) (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40444491/2d-barcode-system-implemented-to-eradicate-fake-medicines-kamal - DRAP makes barcodes, unique serial numbers mandatory for medicines (ARY News): https://arynews.tv/drap-makes-barcodes-unique-serial-numbers-mandatory-for-medicines - DRAP sets October 9 deadline for mandatory medicine track and trace system (The Nation): https://www.nation.com.pk/28-Jun-2026/drap-sets-october-9-deadline-mandatory-medicine-track-trace-system - Pakistan to Introduce Mandatory Barcode System for Medicines (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/06/29/pakistan-to-introduce-mandatory-barcode-system-for-medicines/ How to cite: "Medicine barcodes mandatory from 9 October, DRAP confirms; app to check fake medicines coming", Searchable, 16 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/health/drap-medicine-barcode-rule-what-changes-for-you