Indian barcoding law passes despite objections

Indian barcoding requirements have come into force after the government rejected appeals for another postponement.

Drug industry trade group Pharmexcil lobbied the government right up to the turn of the year but failed to secure an extension. As such, the secondary packaging of any finished drug products manufactured for export after January 1 2013 must feature a barcode.

Pharmexcil fears that, despite repeated delays, the drug industry is ill-prepared to comply with the law. The government is aware of the concerns and, if it receives adequate data, is open to giving small exporters funding to help them comply.

A lack of cash is only part of the problem though. Correspondence between Pharmexcil and GS1 shows there is still confusion about what is required of drugmakers, with clarification of whether mono cartons are classed or secondary packaging arriving just one day before the law passed.

GS1 has since updated its barcoding manual to categorise mono cartons as primary packaging components, which have a later deadline for complying with the law.