Can amendment to rule 96 prevent counterfeit medicines?
Introduction The Counterfeit Drug Menace world over and specifically in India pose grave threat to public health. As per the WHO report published in 2017, around 10% medicines sold in low and middle-income countries, including India were counterfeit or substandard which poses serious threat to patient safety. These illicit products can lead to treatment failure, worsening health conditions, and, in severe cases, fatalities. The report estimated that over 1 million deaths are caused annually due to counterfeit and substandard drugs. Additionally, the sale of counterfeit drugs undermines the integrity of pharmaceutical supply chains, hindering the effective delivery of genuine medications. In an attempt to deal with counterfeit medicines in India the Government of India amended Rule 96 of Drugs Rules, 1945 vide Gazette notification GSR 823(e) to make it mandatory to print Barcode or QR code on