Federal Cabinet Approves National Track and Trace System for Medicines
The federal cabinet has approved the nationwide rollout of a track and trace system designed to eliminate counterfeit medicines from Pakistan's pharmaceutical supply chain. The decision marks a significant step in the government's effort to protect public health by ensuring the authenticity and traceability of pharmaceutical products from manufacturer to end consumer.
The system will enable regulatory authorities to monitor the movement of medicines across the entire supply chain using digital identifiers, making it substantially harder for substandard or falsified drugs to enter the market. Counterfeit medicines have long posed a serious public health risk in Pakistan, with illicit products occasionally linked to patient fatalities and treatment failures.
The Ministry of National Health Services, working in coordination with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, is expected to oversee the technical implementation. The rollout will require pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and pharmacies to integrate with the centralised tracking infrastructure within defined timelines.
Officials have indicated the system mirrors similar frameworks adopted in Turkey, India, and several Gulf states, where track and trace mechanisms have demonstrably reduced the circulation of fake drugs. The cabinet's approval unlocks the procurement and deployment phase, with full operationalisation expected in a phased manner across provinces.
The initiative is expected to have significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry, which will face compliance obligations, as well as for public health outcomes across Pakistan's large and diverse medicine consumption base.
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