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The deadline for implementation of barcodes system on pharmaceutical exports is likely to be extended further.
The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had made it mandatory for all drug exporters to affix barcode on their products basically to tackle the growing incidence of counterfeit drugs in global markets from July 1, 2010.
“Acting upon requests from industry, the Union Ministry of commerce had in-principle favoured extension of deadline by two-three months,” a senior Government Official involved in the process told Business Line .
The DGFT, however, had not issued a notification in this regard and the industry is hoping for some ‘relief' on this front.
According to a functionary of Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd, the company would be in a position to comply with barcodes norms on tertiary packaging, if the deadline is extended up to October 1.
“A representation has been given to DGFT from exporters recently to put off the implementation of bar-coding system by some more days. However, there has not been any response so far,” Mr P Bhaskar Narayana, Chief Financial Officer, Natco Pharma Ltd, told Business Line .
According to the norms, bar-coding has to be at two levels of packaging – primary (on the strip label of a drug) and secondary (on the larger packages such on cartoon packs.
According to Mr Krishna Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director, Granules India Ltd, the cost involved in adopting the barcode system might be of concern for small players.
Dr C. Gopalakrishna Murthy, President, Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), said the barcodes would ‘augur well' for companies. “We want it and IPA is in favour of it,” he said.
According to Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) data, pharma exports in 2010-11 touched $10.3 billion marking 15 per cent growth over the year-ago period.
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