India has removed cough syrups from Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945, ending a decades-old exemption that allowed their sale without a doctor's prescription in villages under 1,000 population. This change aims to enhance regulatory oversight and traceability, following concerns over contaminated syrups linked to child deaths.
India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare now requires a doctor's prescription to buy cough syrups and other syrup medicines, ending over-the-counter sales. This move aims to prevent misuse, recreational drug use, and accidental poisoning, especially among adolescents and young adults, and addresses a history of contaminated Indian-made medicines causing child deaths globally.
India's Union health ministry has amended drug regulations, making a doctor's prescription mandatory for purchasing syrup-based medicines, including cough syrups. The change, effective June 9, removes 'syrups' from Schedule K, ending over-the-counter sales and strengthening regulatory oversight.
