We, the members of Rotary E-Club of Mysore Centre, Rotary International District 3181, respectfully submit this memorandum to the Government of India requesting a nationwide regulatory framework that makes Braille identification and accessible medicine information mandatory on medicinal packaging.
This change would support the independence, dignity, accessibility and medication safety of persons who are blind or visually impaired. Medicine is essential to healthcare, and identifying it should not depend on a person’s ability to read printed text.
We respectfully request the Government of India to examine this matter and begin the necessary regulatory and consultative process for mandatory Braille labelling and accessible identification of medicinal products across India.
1. BACKGROUND
Pharmaceutical packaging carries essential information about a medicine, including its name, strength, manufacturer, batch number, manufacturing date, expiry date and other required particulars. For a person who is blind or has significant visual impairment, much of this information is not independently accessible.
As a result, such individuals may have to depend on family members, caregivers, pharmacists or other people simply to identify a medicine or distinguish it from another one. This becomes especially difficult when:
- several medicines are being taken at the same time;
- medicines have similar packaging;
- medicines are stored together;
- a visually impaired person is travelling or living independently;
- assistance is not immediately available; or
- the medicine needs to be identified urgently.
Accessible medicine information should be treated as an essential part of an inclusive healthcare system.
2. EXISTING REGULATORY AND POLICY CONTEXT
India already has legal and policy frameworks that recognise the rights and accessibility needs of persons with disabilities. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 provides a statutory framework for equality, accessibility and participation of persons with disabilities.
The issue of accessible medicine packaging has also been considered within India’s drug-regulatory framework. Discussions recorded by the Drugs Consultative Committee have noted the need for Braille inscriptions on medicines in connection with the difficulties faced by persons who are blind or visually impaired in identifying medicines and information such as expiry dates.
We therefore submit that this issue deserves renewed consideration in light of current accessibility standards, technology and stakeholder experience.
3. THE NEED FOR ACTION
We respectfully submit that medicine identification should be accessible to the person who is actually using the medicine. A mandatory Braille labelling requirement on medicinal packaging would help reduce avoidable dependence on others and improve safe, independent access to essential medicines.
We request the Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare, the Drugs Controller General of India, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities to initiate and implement a national policy requiring mandatory Braille labelling and accessible identification on medicinal packaging across India.
Such a policy would give persons who are blind or visually impaired a safer and more dignified way to identify medicines, while leaving no one reliant on guesswork or outside help for basic medication access. Without this change, the same barriers to safe and independent medicine use will continue.
4. REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION
In view of the above, we respectfully request the Government of India to take up this matter as a priority and move toward a clear, nationwide requirement for Braille labelling and accessible medicine identification on pharmaceutical packaging.
This step would strengthen accessibility, improve medication safety and advance the goal of an inclusive healthcare system for all.