The Distributors of Indian Medicine think that 20% of it is counterfeited1. In response, the Indian Government issued a notification in November 2022 mandating that 300 Indian medicine brands issue authentication QR codes. This blog will break down how this is currently being carried out and how easy it is to bypass these features.
Table of Contents
The Notification
The notification 2mandates that the QR code maintain information on:
- Unique Product Information
- The Unique Product Information is the Drug Authentication and Verification Code3 is essentially number assigned to a the smallest sellable and cross-verified via a digital signature.
- Generic Name of Drug
- Brand Name
- Name and Address of Manufacturer
- Batch Number
- Date of Manufacturing
- Date of Expiry
- Manufacturing License Number
The Notification also mandates that these QR codes be visible on the strip level and the box level of any medicine.
The hope is that individuals will scan the QR code, get validated, and then continue content that their product is genuine.
Issues:
1- Easy to Forge
I forged a QR Code to show how easy it is to recreate.
Below is a picture of Rantac 150, the most popular brand of ranitidine – a drug banned in most of the world for causing cancer4, but one of the top-selling drugs in India. We don’t sell it at SayaCare!
I scanned the QR code which led me to:
Click here to visit the website.
I took that URL, and put it into a QR Code Generator
I essentially made a replicated QR code in a few seconds. I download this QR code, and put it into the packaging and for all intents and purposes it would be considered valid.
Both of these QR Codes led me to:
If the Validation is a QR Code, the QR Code will be FORGED.
2- Compliance
In September of 2024, an article was released in Pharma Biz5 which highlighted the high cost of implementation, the low public awareness, and the practical non-usage of the compliance systems that had been built.
Despite the pharmaceutical sector’s efforts to implement QR codes, a significant issue also persists, which is a lack of public awareness. The primary objective of these QR codes is to allow consumers to verify the authenticity of their medicines, yet few patients are aware of this new feature. Industry insiders blame the government for failing to launch a comprehensive public awareness campaign to educate the public on how to use QR codes for drug authentication.
As a result, pharmaceutical companies have not seen an increase in authentication requests from consumers, rendering the costly implementation efforts less impactful. Industry stakeholders emphasize that without public awareness, the financial investment made by companies is not translating into the desired consumer safety benefits.
Pharma companies argued for the increase in cost, there was virtually no public awareness about this, barely anyone validated, and the inordinate strain it put on their operations made the whole thing a no-go. As of such, many drag their feet on compliance, and you can frequently come across medicine from the top 300 brands where no such QR exists which eliminates necessity.
If nobody knows that these brands are supposed to have QR codes which can be validated, what is the point of putting them?
3- Everyone Has a Private System
Each company has its own authentication system. How are you supposed to know which one is legitimate.
I could easily create a website that looks exactly like the one above, and link my QR code with it. It would take me half an hour or so. It might seem like a lot of effort, but for one skilled in technology – this is literally the easiest of all projects.
I asked Claude to recreate it, and within a minute I got a fake duplicate website. It isn’t an exact duplicate, but no patient would ever realize.
If you scanned the QR code, I could then take you to verifyjbpharma.in which is available for Rs. 99 on hostinger.
How would you know that this is valid vs the other one?
4- Reach
The government mandated that 300 brands start implementing these QR codes. According to PharmaSecure, an authentication solution provider, these 300 brands account for 35%6 of Market-Share of life-saving drugs in the country.
However, this Market-Share is represented by Value rather than Volume. Considering that these 300 brands are the most expensive drugs for their particular composition, with several right at the price ceiling set by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), they would disproportionately take up the value in that particular drug composition.
By using SayaCare’s Conversion Data, I was able to estimate that these drugs as of December 2024 make up no more than 5% of the volume. And this number has been going down in recent years – meaning the scope of coverage is decreasing.
Perhaps the marketing companies are changing their brands to skirt regulation, perhaps their market share is naturally falling due to competitors like us, or perhaps the government push towards generics is having an effect.
Regardless, the coverage of such a scheme is volume-wise miniscule, and it is getting smaller still.
5- Real Cases
On Feburary 22nd, 2025 Drug Officials seized counterfeited medicine in Howrah West Bengal.7
A day after the directorate of Drug Control busted a medicine racket in Howrah, medicine wholesalers and retailers across the state have sounded the alarm as a bulk of the medicines seized during the raid were copies of some of the market-leading brands.
More worrying for the consumers, the fake medicine manufacturers even copied the QR code, which actually differentiates the authentic medicines from the spurious ones.
This blog isn’t an abstract *what-if*, it is an actuality that has actual victims. Over 1 Crore worth of fake medicines have already been distributed in this one case alone.
Conclusion
The QR Code system adds a level of protection, but it by no means keeps you secure. Even if the medicine is legitimate, it does not mean it is safe. Many of the 300 brands listed in the QR list have been in the CDCSO monthly alerts as being substandard. It’s not simply enough to look for legitimate products, you need quality ones too. For that you need tested medicine from a trusted source. SayaCare is proud to offer tested generic medicine where each batch is tested before being made available. Tackle those fake and low-quality medicines with one swoop!
Author
Dr. Dhruv Gupta stands as a distinguished medical professional renowned for his expertise, particularly in [specific medical field]. His significant contributions extend into the forefront of healthcare innovation, where he has emerged as a pioneering advocate for e-pharmacy solutions. Dr. Gupta’s visionary leadership in integrating technology and pharmaceutical services has reshaped the landscape of healthcare delivery. As a proactive participant in the telemedicine realm, he has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing patient care and accessibility to medications through digital platforms. Beyond his clinical practice, Dr. Gupta is actively engaged in medical education, often sharing his insights as a speaker at conferences. His patient-centric approach ensures that individuals benefit from convenient and reliable access to necessary medications, marking him as a key figure at the intersection of healthcare and technology.
