Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal on Saturday announced that Pakistan will introduce a barcode system for all medicines within the next 60 days as part of a major initiative to eliminate counterfeit and substandard drugs and ensure quality control in the pharmaceutical sector.

Speaking at an event during his visit to the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) headquarters, the minister said all preparations for the nationwide implementation of the system have been completed by the Ministry of Health and relevant institutions.

He said the barcode system would enable complete traceability of medicines, ensure availability of genuine drugs to patients and help eliminate fake products from the market.

He said Pakistan currently produces 85 per cent of its required medicines locally, but nearly 99 per cent of raw material is imported, mainly from China, calling it a major economic challenge. He stressed the need for local production of pharmaceutical raw materials to reduce import dependence.