- Batch / Lot number (B.No)
- Identifier of a single production run. Safety alerts list affected batch numbers.
- Counterfeit / Spurious
- A medicine that deliberately misrepresents its identity or source. Called “falsified” by the WHO.
- DataMatrix
- A square 2D barcode printed on packs that can hold the GTIN, batch, expiry and a unique serial number.
- DRAP
- Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the national medicines regulator.
- Expiry date (Exp)
- The last date the manufacturer guarantees full potency and safety under proper storage.
- GS1
- The global standards body whose barcode formats are used on most medicine packs.
- GTIN
- Global Trade Item Number, a 14-digit code identifying a product and pack size (not an individual pack).
- Imprint
- Letters, numbers or logos stamped onto a tablet or capsule to identify it.
- M.R.P.
- Maximum retail price printed on the pack.
- Pharmacovigilance
- Monitoring and reporting of side effects and quality problems after a medicine is on the market.
- Rapid alert
- An urgent DRAP notice warning about a specific product or batch.
- Recall
- Withdrawal of a product or batch from the market because of a safety or quality problem.
- Registration number (Reg. No.)
- The number DRAP assigns when it authorises a product for sale in Pakistan.
- Serialization
- Assigning a unique serial number to every individual pack so it can be tracked and verified.
- Substandard
- An authorised medicine that fails its quality specification.
- Track and trace
- A system that records each pack's movement through the supply chain so its serial can be verified.
- Unregistered
- A product sold without DRAP authorisation.
Glossary
The terms you'll meet on medicine packs, in safety alerts and throughout our guides, explained simply.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between spurious and substandard?
Spurious medicines imitate another product; substandard ones are genuine but fail quality tests. Full explanation: spurious medicine meaning and substandard vs falsified.
What does GTIN mean on a medicine?
Global Trade Item Number, the product code in the 2D code. Learn to validate it on our GTIN number check page.
What is track and trace?
A system giving each pack a unique serial so it can be verified. See drug track and trace portal and Mehfooz Dawa.
Topic hub
Reporting & Patient Help
What to do, who to call and how to report a fake medicine or side effect.
- Report a fake medicine ★
- DRAP helpline 0800-03727
- How to report fake medicine
- Report side effects
- Took fake medicine?
- Drug Trace FAQ
- Glossary of terms (this page)
Related topics
Keep reading
BasicsWhat Does 'Spurious Medicine' Mean? DRAP Terms Explained
Spurious, falsified, counterfeit, substandard, adulterated, misbranded: plain-English definitions of the words used in Pakistani drug alerts.
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Spotting fakesSubstandard vs Falsified Medicines: What's the Difference?
Understanding the WHO categories used in safety alerts, and what each means for patients.
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BasicsReading Batch Numbers, Expiry and Registration Codes
What B.No, Mfg, Exp, Reg. No. and M.R.P. mean, where to find them, and how to read every date format.
5 min read