India is to roll out new bespoke pharma labels to beat drug counterfeiting after hearing of a similar scheme being tested in Africa.

Earlier this month, Mobiledia.com reported that US-based firm Sproxil had begun adding scratch cards to some of the medical products it sends to developing countries.

They will feature a code and a number to send it to once the products reach their destination, whereupon the drugs can be checked for authenticity and verified to the end user.

HP Labs in India told the Economic Times it intends to bring in a similar service because of the problem of counterfeiting in the Asian country.

"This technology not only provides commercial benefits to clients, but also helps to save lives," explained the company's Prith Banerjee.

Fake drugs can have high levels of dangerous chemicals that are able to cause serious side-effects, with an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development report suggesting that 700,000 people a year are affected.

Extra measures such as holograms or randomised numbers on printed labels could also be effective ways to beat counterfeiting.

Denny Bros Ltd , 29 September 2011