New Delhi: The government has proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules to curb the rising misuse of cough syrups and restrict their sale without medical advice. Once the new rules are implemented, monitoring of the sale of prescription-based medicines is likely to be intensified. The government aims to ensure accountability in medicine sales and prevent the abuse of cough syrups.
Under the proposed rules, there is a move to prohibit the sale of prescription-only medicines as over-the-counter (OTC) products. According to government sources, cough syrups intended for adults are often administered to children; the medicine sales process is being tightened to prevent such instances.
Proposal to make CCTV mandatory at licensed medical shops
The new draft proposes making the installation of CCTV cameras mandatory at licensed retail medical shops. CCTV recordings of sales involving prescription medicines must be preserved for at least three months.
However, the wholesale medicine trade has not been included in the proposed rules. These amendments have been proposed under the Drugs Rules, 1945. The government has invited objections and suggestions from the public and stakeholders regarding the draft rules, allowing a period of 30 days for this purpose.
The government states that the objective of the proposed changes is to enhance transparency and accountability in the sale and supply of medicines.
Action against codeine cough syrup smuggling
Agencies are already taking action against the illicit trade of cough syrups. On September 3, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested four individuals in Banda district for smuggling codeine cough syrup.
During the operation, the STF claimed to have seized 30,000 bottles of illicit codeine cough syrup, valued at approximately ₹3 crore, from the accused. The arrested individuals were identified as Dhirendra Kumar (resident of Banda), Praveen Kumar alias Lucky and Rohit Pandey (residents of Atarra), and Shekhar Singh (resident of Hapur). According to the STF, an interstate gang was sourcing consignments of illegal codeine-based cough syrup from Delhi, Haryana, and Chandigarh and supplying them to several states—including Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh—in addition to Uttar Pradesh. Acting on a tip-off, the STF’s Prayagraj field unit conducted an operation in Banda and apprehended the accused.
