India may be closer to implementing a track and trace system for drug distribution than the U.S. It has again pushed back a deadline for drugmakers to put barcode identifiers on individual drug packages, but it does have plans in place. According to in-PharmaTechnologist.com, it has pushed to July 1, 2014, its deadline for compliance with the system which is intended to help fight counterfeit drugs. The publication said the barcodes are expected to include a unique product identifier, batch number, expiry date and serial number. The government is also putting together a program that would be used to track the drugs. In the U.S., a system has yet to be approved. Plans for legislation last year got killed in last-minute negotiations over the FDA reauthorization bill. The industry last week indicated a readiness to again discuss a program that can be built upon over the years. Story | More