Authentication Solutions essential vaccine for Indian Health Ecosystem

by Nakul Pasricha

Reputed as the ‘pharmacy of the world’ India is one of the leading providers of affordable, innovative and lifesaving medicines to the world. During the COVID pandemic, we have again emerged as one of the vital pharmaceutical manufacturing serving global patient care, providing essential medicines and vaccines to the countries efficiently, in a short period while adhering to GMP & quality regulations.

Playing a critical role in the world healthcare ecosystem, India has a bigger role to play in worldwide drug security and availability. While we are taking global patient care, we must address the issues in the country e.g. low ranking in health and survival, domestic regulations, hoarding, and falsified medicines (Source: World Economic Forum).

This initiative needs to start from home. For exported products, the Indian pharmaceutical industry adheres to international standards and authentication protocols. Unfortunately, the domestic regulations and legal structures are not as well defined as required. Lack of this structure and gaps in implementation gives criminals a chance to take advantage of the system by plaguing it with substandard, falsified, spurious, or counterfeit medicines and medical equipment. Making the whole system sick from the inside and weakening its ability to attend to patients properly. It also robs the end-users of their right to good quality medication, damages the reputation of the healthcare system, harms brand equity of pharmaceutical companies, and erodes public trust in the healthcare system.

For instance, during the COVID pandemic while the government and healthcare professionals were encouraging and urging people to get vaccinated there was an undercurrent of distrust in the public due to the numerous falsified vaccine incidents that surfaced.

The issue has not received the attention it deserves. The problem needs to be assessed and diagnosed properly to devise a solution. The surge in spurious drugs in the country is not only a potential threat to the lives of its citizens but also dents its image as being one of the largest suppliers of drugs and pharmaceuticals in the world, stated the committee in its report presented to Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on July 23, 2021. Expressing its concern on the rising incidences of spurious and adulterated drugs in India, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce has also recommended to the government to roll out a track and trace mechanism at the earliest for the detection of authenticity and genuineness of medicines and medical devices from manufacturers to end-users in the supply chain. The bottom line is that it is a huge problem and calls for immediate effective corrective action.

India is a huge country, with a great number of pharmaceutical products in a dynamic market. The question arises that can the problem be fixed, is there a solution that can make a difference?

There are immediate solutions available, however, as the issue is so-big, it require a collective efforts from all stakeholders.


Role of Government & Policymakers:
Guidelines have been given by the government and initiatives have been taken for improvement at export level, however, these need to be implemented at domestic level. Clearly defined mandatory regulations regarding secure packaging, authentication solutions implementation and robust track & trace mechanism from the government are the foremost actions required. The regulator can encourage and create incentives for genuine manufacturers and sellers of products in high demand to reduce the scarcity, adoption of authentication solutions and thus drive down the profitability for counterfeiters. Health must be our top priority and Govt. must ensure that consumers are not duped by counterfeit products. They must enhance how counterfeiting is impacting the country economic growth, eroding employment opportunity as well as risk of health and life to citizens. This can be done through digital and media campaigns, or perhaps even mentioned as part of the Honourable Prime Minister’s messages to the nation.

Role of the Pharma Brands - once the correct precedent is set, the onus of responsibly adhering to these guidelines lies with the pharmaceutical companies. Responsible pharmaceutical companies invest tremendously in developing good quality and safe drugs. A little effort invested towards securing them and their authenticity would make the whole ecosystem more secure. Some people debate that since the Indian drugs market is very cost-controlled, the cost of authentication solutions and track & trace system would add to the cost of the medicines, but, the reality is that Implementing a solution is more cost-effective than one might realize.

Reputed brands understand the benefits of anti-counterfeiting solutions and treat them as important tools to keep customers safe, ensure brand loyalty as well as protect revenue. Along with the implementation of user-friendly authentication solutions and building a robust track & trace structure, pharmaceutical companies also need to undertake the responsibility of communicating the presence of these to authorities, medical professionals, nursing staff, and end-users. So that they know the power which is being placed in their hands. Curating awareness campaigns that encourage people to participate in the authentication process and report falsified products.

Role of users and end-users - nursing staff, pharmacists, and medical professionals form the most crucial part of the defense against substandard and spurious drugs. Their expertise makes them an excellent judge of the authenticity of the product which they are handling. If they are aware of the process and if the right mechanism is available, they can identify a falsified product and report it. Users and end-users have the power to report and assist in spotting the criminals in the system.

The campaign to tackle substandard and falsified drugs must be prioritized and accelerated. The safety of future generations depends on the actions we take today.

Nakul Pasricha, President, Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA)
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