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NEW DELHI: The next time you step into a chemist shop, you may find a new addition near the counter — a black-and-white QR code that could quietly transform India’s drug safety system. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has directed every retail and wholesale pharmacy in the country to display the official Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) QR code along with its toll-free number, 1800-180-3024, enabling people to report medicine side effects instantly.The order, issued after the 16th Working Group Meeting of PvPI held on June 18, this year instructs State and Union Territory drug regulators to ensure that the QR code is placed prominently in the pharmacy premises. By simply scanning it, customers and healthcare professionals can report any adverse drug reaction — from rashes and dizziness to swelling, nausea or more serious complications — straight into ADRMS (Adverse drug reaction monitoring system). Senior officials say the move could mark a major shift in how India tracks harmful drug events, which often go unreported. Many patients assume side effects are expected or temporary and never alert authorities, leaving patterns undetected. “Even one report can help us identify a problem early and prevent harm to hundreds of others,” an official involved in the decision said. With chemists being the first point of contact for millions of people, regulators believe pharmacies can become the front line of pharmacovigilance.The CDSCO has told states to begin immediate implementation, widely disseminate instructions to all licence holders and closely monitor compliance. Regulators see the new signage as a simple but powerful tool to build a culture of reporting, strengthen oversight and make medicines safer for everyone. The QR code, soon to appear across more than a million pharmacy counters, may become a quiet reminder that drug safety is no longer just the system’s responsibility — it now belongs to every patient who chooses to speak up.
