Benefits of including QR codes on medication packaging

Used correctly, prescription medication helps heal illnesses, manage chronic conditions, and more. Whether taken for treatment, symptom relief, prevention, or cure, patients must follow the standard for safe medication practices. But sometimes, taking the correct dose at the right time is challenging — and the global rise in counterfeit medication has complicated patients’ best intentions and efforts.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 10% of medicinal products such as prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are counterfeit. The primary danger of taking counterfeit medicine? Ingesting something that may not only not treat a current health issue, but could cause more serious harm or even death.

Between 2016 and 2021, criminal investigations conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) led to 130 enforcement actions against medication rings. The FDA seized over 2,200 pounds of active ingredient powder from these counterfeiting operations, but that volume merely scratches the surface. Thousands of rogue pharmacy websites exist, suggesting the percentage of counterfeit drugs in circulation is much higher.

To combat this trend, the Drugs Control General of India passed an act requiring 300 of the country’s top-selling medicines to include QR codes on their packaging. These codes promote transparency by providing consumer information about the drug’s name, manufacturer, batch number, and other details.

QR codes already serve multiple useful purposes, providing information about restaurant menus, hotel amenities, or wayfinding. Adding QR codes to medical packaging can benefit pharmaceutical companies and the patients prescribed these drugs, verifying authenticity and communicating all the details normally shared on product inserts. But that’s not all. Here are other benefits the codes offer.

Provide tutorials for specific drugs

Instead of waiting in long lines at the pharmacy to talk to a pharmacist — or having no access to a pharmacist because they order online — patients can scan a QR code with their smartphone and be taken to a step-by-step tutorial on how to safely use a prescription.

For example, diabetes medication may involve insulin shots. Infertility medication may require specific preparation for IUI and IVF treatment. A QR code could connect patients to a website with video tutorials showing step-by-step instructions on how to give a self-injection or use a blood pressure monitor, glucometer, or inhaler. Using QR codes to connect to an FAQ page provides patients with added context — and confidence when using new or intimidating medications.  

Schedule II drugs like oxycontin and morphine carry a very real risk of addiction. It takes just 3-5 days for the risk of developing an addiction to prescribed pain relievers (opioids) to increase significantly. Detailed information helps patients understand the inherent dangers associated with long-term use. 

Eliminate unnecessary paper waste

According to some estimates, pharmacies will fill 4.8 billion prescriptions in 2023. Every prescription includes an FDA-required Patient Package Insert (PPI), Medication Guide (MG), and Instructions for Use (IFU) handout. Guess how many patient packets will end up in the trash and landfills? 4.8 billion.

Waste aside, there are other inherent issues with communicating information via these packets. The PPI is often outdated and may lack the most recent warnings or contraindications necessary to ensure safe drug use. Also, because these inserts must hold a huge amount of information, the print is very small, making it challenging for those with vision issues to read the tiny print, even with magnification.

QR codes provide patients with the most up-to-date drug and prescription information — and because the codes can take users to a website, the content is more easily accessible and readable.

Help patients with medication management

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that approximately 50% of patients don’t take their medication as prescribed. Over 55% of Americans take regularly prescribed medication. Non-adherence leads to over 125,000 deaths annually — and one of the leading causes of this phenomenon is a lack of understanding about how to take the medication. Other reasons include:

• Having to track and take many medications on different schedules.
• Mistrust in the medication’s efficacy.
• Worry that taking a specific medication could lead to dependency or addiction.

Pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies can use QR codes to help patients set daily reminders on their phones, so they never miss a dose. Connecting to a mobile app reminder, via a QR code, also allows direct communication between patients and their pharmacies. 

QR codes and pharmacies of the future

The pharmacy landscape has evolved over the years, expanding into four distinct ways patients get the medication they need: 

• Retail chains like CVS and Walgreens.
• Regional pharmacies and grocery stores with in-house pharmacies.
• Independent pharmacies.
• Mail-order and online pharmacies. 

Of these four types, retail chains hold the largest market share and put pressure on other pharmacy types, especially regional and independent pharmacies. In fact, independent pharmacies have declined significantly to approximately 20,000 locations nationwide. And while mail-order and online pharmacies accounted for fewer than 10% of total US prescriptions filled in 2021, their popularity is increasing.

So, what are the implications of evolving patient preferences? As online and mail-order pharmacies seek to further disrupt the market, their propensity to offer convenience comes at a cost: a lower-touch approach. Without easy access to pharmacists, and their guidance regarding associated risks or side effects and instructions for use, patients need another trusted way to access that information. QR codes can help fill that need.