ISLAMABAD  -  The Drug Regulatory Au­thority of Pakistan (DRAP) has issued a warning to all those pharmaceutical companies that are not printing barcodes on the packing of their products. This decision was taken by the Policy Board of DRAP. Chairing the board meet­ing, the Secretary of Na­tional Health Services has asked for a report on the implementation of bar­coding rules. According to these rules, pharmaceu­tical manufacturers and importers must print 2-D barcoding on the packag­ing of their products. Put­ting such measures as a 2-D barcode matrix for the identification of medicinal products help in the eradi­cation of spurious and fal­sified drugs that pose a se­rious threat to the health of citizens. It was decided by the board that over the next two weeks printing of barcodes, as per the rules, must be ensured. DRAP will immediately issue warning letters to all those pharmaceutical companies that have not registered their barcode data with DRAP and are not printing 2-D barcodes on the pack­ing of their products. This is an important step to stop the entry of spurious and counterfeit drugs into the market which can save hundreds of citizens from the harmful effects of such illegal medicines.