1. Find the batch number
Every strip, bottle and carton must show a batch or lot number, the manufacturing date and the expiry date. On strips it is usually printed along the edge, after "B. No." or "Batch"; on bottles it is on the label or embossed on the base. The number is alphanumeric, "PEP5001", "DML 062" , and the same batch number appears on the carton and on every strip inside it. If the carton and strip numbers differ, or the print looks stamped over an earlier one, treat the pack as suspect.
2. Read the manufacturer, not the marketer
The company on the front of the pack is often the marketer. The manufacturer is named after "Mfd. by" or "Manufactured by", with a licence number and address. Counterfeits frequently copy a well-known front but get the manufacturer block wrong. Compare it with a pack you know is genuine, or with the manufacturer named on this site's product record.
3. Scan the QR code where there is one
Under the 2022 amendment to the Drugs Rules, the 300 top-selling brands must print a QR code or barcode on the primary or secondary packaging from August 2023. Scanning it should open the manufacturer's verification page showing the product name, generic name, brand, manufacturer, batch, dates and licence number. A code that opens nothing, or a page whose batch does not match the pack, is a warning sign.
4. Look at the pack itself
Genuine strips have crisp, evenly aligned printing and a consistent foil colour; tablets match in colour, size and markings across the strip. Spelling mistakes, blurred logos, a different shade from your last purchase, or a price far below the printed MRP are all reasons to pause.
5. Check the batch against the alerts
CDSCO publishes every batch that failed a government laboratory test and every batch reported as suspected spurious. The batch checker on this site searches all of them at once. A match means that exact batch was flagged; a "not found" result means it has not been reported, which is reassuring but not proof of quality, because only a sample of the market is tested each month.
Where to report
Take a suspect pack back to the pharmacy and ask for a replacement and a receipt. Report it to your state drug controller (each state's drugs control department accepts complaints, several through online portals), or through the consumer section of the CDSCO website. Adverse reactions to any medicine can be reported to the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India through the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission's ADR reporting form or helpline. Keep the pack, the strip and the receipt, inspectors will want them.