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 The Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association (BDCDA) has urged CDSCO to allow key details like batch number, expiry date and MRP to be clearly printed on the front portion of medicine packs. Instead of requiring continuous brand-name printing, CDSCO should adopt a flexible approach for each detachable portion of the strip, said B Thirunavukkarasu, president, BDCDA.
In this regard, we have provided recommendations and concerns on the Labelling of Medicinal Products and Dispensing of Exact Prescription Quantities pursuant to the Fifth Meeting of the Sub-Committee from the perspectives of retailers and consumers, he added.
What is observed is that the expiry-date portion of the packaging is often torn while taking out the medicine. Now Batch Number and Expiry Date are critical patient-safety information requiring highest priority on the primary packaging. MRP is primarily a commercial requirement. This can be resolved by printing the Batch Number, Expiry Date and MRP continuously on the strip, preferably on each tablet/capsule segment, so that the information remains available even when the strip is cut, said Thirunavukkarasu.
However, such a system should be implemented with a suitable mechanism for settlement of expired cut-strip quantities by wholesalers and manufacturers, so that the retailer does not bear the financial burden of unsaleable expiry dated cut strips, he noted.
On the public grievance about pharmacies’ refusal to dispense cut strips, BDCDA noted that there are practical and commercial aspects which need to be considered. This is because if three tablets are dispensed from a strip of 10, the remaining seven tablets may not be accepted for return or reimbursed by the wholesaler after the expiry date, thereby creating a direct financial burden on the retail pharmacy. BDCDA is in the process of holding deliberations with National and State Associations to work out a convenient mechanism for settlement and reimbursement of losses arising from cut strips.
Cut-strip dispensing is common for analgesics, antibiotics, antihistamines, and gastrointestinal medicines when prescribed quantities differ from available pack sizes. For example, 5-tablet azithromycin packs may require strips to be cut for 3- or 6-tablet prescriptions. This can be addressed through coordination among prescribers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to ensure exact-quantity dispensing without placing the financial burden of leftover strips solely on pharmacists, said Thirunavukkarasu.
Packaging should reduce glare and improve readability through appropriate contrast. QR codes may provide complementary digital information. BDCDA supports a standardized green ‘G’ watermark or colour identification nationally for generic medicines, alongside existing statutory labelling requirements, he said.
BDCDA supports meaningful regulatory reform through collaboration and shared responsibility. Here, we are committed to working with CDSCO and the Sub-Committee on a practical, balanced, patient-centric framework that protects public health and the pharmacy community, said Thirunavukkarasu.
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