Gujarat hit by wave of falsified QR codes on medicines

The authorities in the Indian state of Gujarat have found further evidence for falsification of the QR codes designed to protect medicines in the domestic market from counterfeiting, as calls grow for a rethink of the system.

The case – involving more than counterfeit versions of Sun Pharma's anti-epileptic drug Levipil 500 (levetiracetam) – exposes the vulnerabilities of the QR code-based system that has been in operation in India since 2023 and designed to allow authentication and traceability of packs, as detailed in our ongoing article series by anti-counterfeiting expert Dr Avi Chaudhuri.

In response to the Levipil 500 incident, more on which can be read here, the Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has launched an investigation to try to uncover the criminal network responsible for introducing the counterfeits into the supply chain. Raids are already underway, and additional training is being offered to drug enforcement officers in Gujarat to help them identify the fakes.

Indian pharmaceutical trade journal Pharmabiz reports that Dr HG Koshia, the Commissioner of Gujarat FDCA, said: "We urge pharmaceutical companies to adopt more advanced verification technologies and partner actively with regulators to safeguard their supply chains."

The Gujarat case is notable because, in contrast to other incidents in which counterfeiters may simply add one or multiple copies of a genuine QR code to their knock-off products, initial testing has suggested that dozens of codes have been applied to the fakes.

That raises the possibility that each is unique, and the question of how those behind the counterfeits are achieving this higher level of sophistication in their scam.

Keep an eye out for the next instalment in Dr Chaudhuri's series, due on SecuringIndustry.com in the coming weeks, which will provide insight into how India can move forward with its coding programme.