India Withdraws Exemption for Cough Syrup Sales Without Prescription

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Buying cough syrup without a doctor's prescription may no longer be possible after the Centre withdrew a decades-old exemption that allowed certain syrup formulations to be sold under relaxed regulatory conditions. The change comes months after contaminated cough syrups linked to child deaths in MP triggered a WHO alert. The health ministry has amended the Drugs Rules, 1945 by removing "syrups" from Schedule K. Lozenges, pills and tablets for cough, however, continue to remain on the exempted list. The exemption had allowed cough syrups to be sold as household remedies in villages with populations below 1,000. With the amendment coming into force, cough syrups will now have to be sold through licensed pharmacies, bringing them under the regular regulatory framework governing medicines. Officials said the latest amendment is intended to strengthen regulatory oversight, improve accountability in the distribution chain and align older exemptions with present-day public health and safety requirements. Health experts said the change could improve traceability and regulatory monitoring of cough syrups, which remain among the most commonly used medicines in rural India.