A citywide initiative has been launched to promote the use of drug traceability codes to ensure the safety of medication for users, aiming to establish a robust “firewall” for pharmaceutical safety, according to the Yichang Municipal Medical Insurance Bureau on April 27.

　　It is learned that the drug traceability registration system has beenin pilot operation since December 2024 and was officially enforced citywide on April 1, 2025. Under the new policy, scanning the traceability code is mandatory when purchasing medications.

　　“The implementation of the traceability system not only safeguards the public’s medication safety but also enhancesprotection for the integrity of the healthcare insurance fund,” said Dong Changqing, Head of the Fund Audit Section at the Municipal Medical Insurance Service Center.

　　Authorities have issued a special reminder: if a scanned traceability code shows multiple prior sales, the medicine in question may be a ‘returned drug,’ which poses potential safety risks.(Reporter/Cui Yanhua, Correspondents/Han Xiaobo and Rabigul)