Madhya Pradesh To Launch 'Drug Tracking' After Chhindwara Cough Syrup Deaths

Weeks after at least 20 children died in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara after consuming a cough syrup, the state has introduced a barcode and QR code-based "Drug Tracking-Tracing System" (GS-1 System) for all medicines supplied to government hospitals.

Possibly a first, the move promises that the government will trace every pill, and rebuild public trust in the system that failed its citizens. With this system, every strip, bottle, and vial that enters a government hospital in Madhya Pradesh will carry a digital signature of truth.

Under the new tender policy of the Madhya Pradesh Public Health Services Corporation Limited (MPPHC), nearly 1,200 types of medicines will be mandatorily affixed with barcodes or QR codes. One scan will reveal everything from the manufacturer's name, batch number, and license details to the hospital it was shipped to, supply date, and remaining stock.

Anyone from a patient in a rural dispensary to a doctor in a district hospital can now scan a code and instantly know if the medicine in their hand is safe, genuine, and valid. The system even issues automatic expiry alerts, allowing hospitals to transfer soon-to-expire drugs to other centers before they go to waste. Officials say that in its next phase, the system will advance further to track which medicine was given to which patient, creating a full digital trail based on the patient's mobile number and address.

The state spends nearly Rs 600 crore every year on medicine procurement, and now, the pharmaceutical companies themselves will bear the responsibility of barcoding and data integration.

Officials describe the system as not just a technological upgrade but a moral correction a way to ensure that tragedies like Chhindwara are not repeated because of negligence or manipulation in the supply chain.

The move could also prove to be a turning point in the fight against counterfeit medicines, which make up about one per cent of the state's Rs 10,000 crore pharma market. "This will bring a new era of accountability," said Bhopal Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Manish Sharma, emphasising that barcoded medicines will soon replace all current stock.

The state government has also clarified that older, non-coded medicines will be used only for a short, specified period before being phased out entirely. The Health Department plans to roll out the new barcoded supply system across all district hospitals, medical colleges, and health centres before the next financial year, with notices already issued to pharmaceutical companies and suppliers.