Mehfooz Dawa App: Check If Your Medicine Is Genuine

The Mehfooz Dawa app is the official mobile application of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), and it lets any citizen check a medicine before buying it. You scan the 2D barcode printed on the medicine pack, and the app shows whether that product is registered with DRAP, what its approved price is, and when it expires. If a medicine looks fake, substandard or over-priced, you can report it to DRAP from the same app.

Parho Pakistan publishes guides from official sources only. The download link and facts in this article are taken from the official Google Play listing of the app and from statements of the Ministry of National Health Services reported in the national press. Always download government apps from the official store listing only.

Key Takeaways

• Mehfooz Dawa is DRAP’s official app, developed by NITB, and it is free on Google Play.
• Scan the 2D barcode on a medicine pack to see its registration status, approved price and expiry date.
• You can report counterfeit, substandard or over-priced medicines with photo evidence inside the app.
• The system runs on DRAP’s Track and Trace System, which became operational on 9 October 2026.

What Is the Mehfooz Dawa App?

Mehfooz Dawa, which means “safe medicine”, is the citizen-facing mobile app of Pakistan’s medicines regulator, DRAP. It was built by the National Information Technology Board, the government’s own technology arm, and it connects your phone directly to DRAP’s medicine records. The idea is simple. Almost every medicine pack sold in Pakistan now carries a printed 2D barcode. That code is linked to the product’s registration record. When you scan it, the app reads the record and shows you the truth about the pack in your hand.

DRAP has publicly urged citizens to use the app before purchasing medicines. According to a spokesperson of the Ministry of National Health Services, about 800 pharmaceutical companies and more than 90,000 medicines are registered with DRAP, and the app checks your pack against that official register.

Why This App Matters

Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a long-standing problem in Pakistan. Fake products do not cure the patient, and some of them are dangerous. A second everyday problem is overcharging, where a shop sells a medicine above the price approved by the regulator. Until now, an ordinary buyer had no easy way to check either problem at the counter. The Mehfooz Dawa app puts that check in the buyer’s pocket, at the exact moment and place where the purchase happens.

The app is one part of a bigger system. Behind it sits DRAP’s Track and Trace System for medicines distributed across Pakistan, which became operational on 9 October 2026. The barcode idea was first proposed in 2015 and the federal cabinet approved it in 2017, but administrative delays held it back for years. The system is now live, and the app is the public window into it.

Main Features of the App

• Instant product scanning: Scan barcodes and product codes to check registration and verification status instantly.
• Official price check: See the price approved by DRAP and compare it with what the shop is charging.
• Expiry check: Confirm the expiry date recorded for the product.
• Complaint submission: File detailed reports about counterfeit, substandard or over-priced medical products.
• Location-tagged reporting: The app logs the location of a scan or report, which helps inspectors find the shop involved.
• Photo attachments: Attach photo evidence of the product with your report.
• Status updates: Track your submitted reports and read official product safety alerts inside the app.

How to Verify a Medicine, Step by Step

1. Download the Mehfooz Dawa app from the official Google Play listing (link at the end of this article).
2. Open the app at the pharmacy and choose the scan option.
3. Point your phone camera at the 2D barcode printed on the medicine pack.
4. Read the result screen. It shows the product’s registration status with DRAP, its approved price and its expiry date.
5. If the product is not found, the price is higher than the approved price, or the pack looks suspicious, do not buy it, and file a report from the app with a photo of the pack.

How to Report a Fake or Over-Priced Medicine

Open the complaint section of the app and fill in the product details. Describe the problem in simple words: for example, that the medicine was not found in the register, that the shop charged more than the approved price, or that the packing looked wrong. Attach a clear photo of the pack, including the barcode and the batch number if visible. The app records your location with the report, which helps DRAP inspectors reach the right shop. After submission, you can track the status of your report inside the app.

Healthcare professionals can use the same route to report substandard products and drug safety problems they see in hospitals and clinics, which strengthens the national drug safety monitoring system.

Formal Launch of the Project

The app and the Track and Trace System are already working, and citizens can use them today. Separately, the Health Minister, Mustafa Kamal, told the National Assembly on 30 October 2026 that the wider project against counterfeit medicines will be formally launched by the Prime Minister by the end of November 2026. That formal launch is about the national project; it does not stop anyone from downloading and using the app right now.

Data Safety

According to the app’s official Google Play listing, the developer declares that the app collects no user data and shares no data with third parties, that data is encrypted in transit, and that users can request deletion of their data. The app is currently available for Android phones. No iPhone version is listed at the time of writing.

Be Careful: Download Only the Official App

Popular government apps attract copycat versions. Download Mehfooz Dawa only from the official Google Play listing published by the National Information Technology Board, and check that the app name and developer match before installing. Never download medicine-checking apps from random websites, WhatsApp forwards or APK files sent by strangers, because a fake app can show fake results.

Official Links

• Download the app: Mehfooz Dawa on Google Play
• Regulator: Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (drap.gov.pk)
• Developer: National Information Technology Board (nitb.gov.pk)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Mehfooz Dawa app and who made it?

Mehfooz Dawa is the official mobile app of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the national medicines regulator. It was developed by the National Information Technology Board, the federal government’s technology arm. Citizens and healthcare professionals use it to verify medicines and to send drug safety and counterfeit reports directly to DRAP through one official channel.

2. How does the app check whether a medicine is genuine?

Every registered medicine pack carries a printed 2D barcode linked to its record in DRAP’s Track and Trace System. Open the app and scan that code at the pharmacy. The app instantly shows the product’s registration status, the price approved by the regulator and the expiry date, so you can judge the pack before paying for it.

3. What can I do if a shop sells a medicine above the official price?

First scan the pack in the app and note the approved price shown on the result screen. If the shop charges more, file a complaint in the app with the product details and a photo of the pack. The report is location-tagged, so DRAP inspectors can identify the shop, and you can track your complaint’s status inside the app.

4. Is the Mehfooz Dawa app free and safe to use?

Yes, the app is free on Google Play. Its official listing states that it collects no user data, shares no data with third parties and encrypts data in transit. For your own safety, install it only from the official listing by the National Information Technology Board, never from APK files shared on social media or messaging apps.

5. Which medicines can the app verify?

The app checks products against DRAP’s official register, which currently covers about 800 pharmaceutical companies and more than 90,000 registered medicines, according to the Ministry of National Health Services. If a pack’s barcode is missing or the product does not appear in the register, treat that as a warning sign, avoid buying it and report it through the app.