The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has issued a nationwide mandate requiring every retail and wholesale pharmacy in India to display a designated quick-response (QR) code along with a toll-free number 1800-180-3024 so that consumers and health-care professionals can report suspected adverse reactions to medicines.
This directive emerged following the 16th Working Group meeting of the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), convened on June 18, 2025.
The circular issued by CDSCO instructs state and union territory drug licensing authorities to ensure compliance: that the QR code be placed in a prominent and visible location inside every pharmacy and that the toll-free helpline number 1800-180-3024 accompany the QR code at all outlets.
The purpose of this measure is to simplify and democratize the reporting of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and other adverse events associated with medicines. The system is designed to feed into India’s indigenous ADR Monitoring System under PvPI. Until now most ADR reports have originated from health-care professionals, but regulatory authorities note that direct participation from patients has remained limited. With the new mandate, patients who suspect any harmful reaction — whether mild or serious — after taking medication will have an easy, immediate channel to alert the relevant authorities.
The circular emphasizes immediate action: licensing authorities have been asked to disseminate the directive widely among all license-holders and to monitor strict compliance. Pharmacy outlets — whether single-store chemists, chain pharmacies, or wholesale distributors — are required to implement the display without delay.
By placing the QR code at the point where medicines are dispensed, regulators aim to empower pharmacies to act as frontline agencies in pharmacovigilance. With widespread adoption of this measure, the reporting of adverse drug reactions could become more common and robust, offering regulators better real-time data to identify and act upon medicine safety issues.
This move marks a shift in how drug safety is being managed in the country, making reporting accessible to ordinary citizens and transforming pharmacies into active participants in public-health surveillance. It may also help in early detection of problematic side-effects or substandard medicines, potentially preventing harm to a large number of people.
