JP Nadda launches Drug Registry, a unified digital platform for meds

Union Health Minister JP Nadda launched the Drug Registry, a unified digital platform under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. It aims to create a single, standardised source of truth for all drug-related information across India's healthcare systems.

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday launched the Drug Registry, a unified and standardised digital platform for drug-related information, aimed at ensuring consistent identification, storage, exchange and usage of medicine data across healthcare systems in the country.

A Single Source of Truth for Medicines

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Drug Registry has been conceptualised under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and will serve as a single source of truth for medicines in India.

The ministry said the platform seeks to address inconsistencies arising from the use of different names and formats for the same drug across healthcare systems, which can lead to duplication, data entry errors and lack of interoperability.

The ministry stated that medicines are among the most critical data elements in healthcare delivery, and the absence of standardised drug information creates challenges in clinical decision-making, e-prescriptions, supply chain management and continuity of care. Drug Registry will also enable transparency, trust and seamless access to drug information across the nation and also a stronger digital backbone for India's healthcare future

Development and Database Details

The Drug Registry has been developed in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the National Resource Centre for EHR Standards (NRCeS), Pune. It leverages international standards, including SNOMED CT, to ensure interoperability and semantic consistency across digital health platforms.

According to the ministry, the registry includes standardised drug codes covering generic medicines, branded medicines and substances. It currently contains more than 1.23 lakh branded drugs, over 10,000 generic drugs and more than 29,000 substances. The platform allows users to search and identify medicines through generic names, brand names, substances and manufacturers. Built on standardised terminology aligned with global standards, it aims to ensure accuracy, transparency and seamless data exchange across healthcare systems.

Integration and Interoperability

The ministry said the Drug Registry is designed to integrate with Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS), e-prescription platforms, doctor-facing applications and other ABDM-compliant digital health solutions. It also provides open APIs to facilitate seamless integration and strengthen interoperability across India's digital healthcare ecosystem by connecting healthcare providers, digital applications and citizens to a verified and comprehensive drug database.

A Core Component of ABDM

The Drug Registry is the fourth core registry being developed under ABDM, alongside the ABHA Registry for individuals, the Healthcare Professional Registry (HPR) and the Health Facility Registry (HFR). (ANI)

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