What is DRAP Mehfooz Dawa?
Mehfooz Dawa means "safe medicine". It is the public name of the drug track and trace programme run by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), with the technical platform built by the National Information Technology Board. Its job is simple to describe: give every medicine pack its own identity, so that anyone, from a distributor to a patient at the counter, can check that pack against the manufacturer's record.
That identity lives in a small square code printed on the box. It looks like a QR code but is usually a GS1 DataMatrix, the same standard used for medicines in Europe, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and many other countries. Inside it are four pieces of information:
| Field | Printed as | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN | GTIN or PC | The product: which medicine, which strength, which pack size, from which company. Same on every identical box. |
| Serial number | SN | The individual box. No two genuine packs should share it. This is what catches copies. |
| Batch number | BN, B or Lot | The production run. Recalls are announced by batch. |
| Expiry date | EXP | The last date the medicine should be used. |
Explore a pack label
A GS1 DataMatrix. It stores all four details below in a form a phone can read. This is the code you scan.
A 14-digit product number: which medicine, strength and pack size, from which company. It is the same on every identical box.
Unique to this one box. No two genuine packs share it, which is what exposes copies.
The production run. DRAP recalls are announced by batch, so this is what you search in recall alerts.
The last date the medicine should be used. Inside the code it is stored as YYMMDD.
Tap the numbered markers to explore the label.
A counterfeiter can copy the look of a box. What they cannot easily do is produce serial numbers that match the record a real manufacturer has uploaded, and copied serials show up when the same number is scanned in many places. That is where the protection comes from.
How to scan the barcode of a medicine with Mehfooz Dawa
The whole check takes under a minute. You can use the scanner at the top of this page or DRAP's own portal; both ask the same system.
- Find the square codeTurn the box over and look on the sides and flaps. It is usually near the batch and expiry print.
- Scan or photograph itTap Start camera and hold the code inside the frame, about a hand's width away. If your camera struggles, take a sharp photo and use Upload photo.
- Compare the result with the boxA good result shows the medicine's name and maker. Make sure they match what is printed on the pack, and that the batch and expiry are the same.
- Act on any warningIf the result is anything other than verified, do not take the medicine yet. The table below explains what to do for each result.
Tip for a fast scan: light matters more than the phone. Stand near a window or under a bright light, tilt the box slightly to remove glare from the plastic coating, and wait a second for the camera to focus.
Medicine barcode scanner online: where the code is on the box
On most cartons the square code sits on one of the narrow sides or the end flap, in a white or plain area, with four lines of small text beside it. Strips and blister sheets inside the box usually do not carry it; the code belongs to the outer carton. Bottles of syrup normally have it on the outer box rather than on the bottle label.
The long striped barcode on the back is a different thing. It identifies the product for billing and is identical on every box, so scanning it will not verify anything.
What each Mehfooz Dawa result means
Verified
This pack's details match a record uploaded by the manufacturer.
Still check the seal, print quality and expiry. Use as prescribed.
Not verified
The system could not match this pack.
Re-scan once. Check you typed details correctly. If it still fails, ask for another pack and report it.
Recalled
The batch has been withdrawn, usually after a quality test failed.
Do not use. Return it to the pharmacy. Talk to your doctor if you have already taken it.
Flagged / blacklisted
The pack or serial is marked unsafe in the system.
Do not use. Keep the box and receipt, and report it to DRAP.
Expired
The expiry date has passed.
Do not use. Return it for safe disposal.
For a deeper walk-through of a failed scan, read how to tell if a medicine is original or duplicate.
Medicine without a 2D barcode: is it fake?
The 2D code became mandatory for registered drug products manufactured or imported on or after 9 October 2026. DRAP's circular of 8 October 2026 says batches made before that date are exempt and may still be imported, distributed and sold. Medicines last two to three years, so genuine packs without a square code will be on shelves for a long time.
Check the manufacturing date. An older pack without a code is normal; a pack made after the deadline without one is a warning sign. For older packs, the usual checks still matter: a printed DRAP registration number, batch number, manufacturing and expiry dates, a maximum retail price, an intact seal and clean printing. See medicine without a barcode and checking original medicine.
DRAP Mehfooz Dawa app download
Yes. The official Mehfooz Dawa app is on the Google Play Store, published by "National IT Board, Government Of Pakistan". It scans packs, lets you file complaints with photos, and shows safety alerts. Other apps use similar names, so read the publisher line before installing, and never install an APK file sent over WhatsApp. Our Mehfooz Dawa app guide has the details.
You do not need an app to check a pack. DRAP's portal, drugtrace.dra.gov.pk, and the scanner on this page both run in your browser, on Android and iPhone, and you can add either to your home screen so it opens like an app.
Dawa check karne wala app aur dawa scanner
Mehfooz Dawa DRAP ka program hai jis se har dawa ke dabbay par bana chakor code (2D barcode) scan kar ke dawa ki tasdeeq hoti hai. Dawa scan karne wala app chahiye to Google Play par official "Mehfooz Dawa" app hai. Bina app ke, isi page par upar wala dawai scanner istemal karein:
- Dabbay par chakor code dhoondeinYeh aksar side ya flap par batch aur expiry ke paas hota hai.
- "Start camera" dabayeinCode ko frame mein rakhein, ek do second mein scan ho jayega.
- Natija milayeinDawa ka naam, batch aur expiry dabbay se milni chahiye.
- Shak ho toDawa istemal na karein, doosra pack lein aur DRAP ko shikayat karein.
محفوظ دوا ڈریپ کا پروگرام ہے۔ دوا کے ڈبے پر بنا چوکور کوڈ اسکین کریں، نتیجہ ڈبے پر لکھی تفصیل سے ملائیں، اور شک ہو تو دوا استعمال نہ کریں۔
Why Pakistan needs track and trace
The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 1 in 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified. They range from tablets with too little active ingredient to complete fakes with none at all, and they hit the most commonly used medicines hardest: antibiotics, painkillers, and treatments for malaria and diabetes.
Pakistan has had repeated cases of spurious and contaminated medicines reaching patients, and DRAP regularly issues recall alerts for failed batches. Visual checks alone are no longer enough, because good counterfeit packaging can be hard to tell apart from the real thing. A serial number tied to the manufacturer's record gives patients a check that does not depend on how good a copy looks.