New Delhi, Jun16 (JKNS): In a significant move aimed at strengthening drug safety and regulatory oversight, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has amended rules to prohibit the sale of syrups, including cough syrups, without a valid doctor’s prescription.
As per news agency JKNS, The amendment has been notified through the Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Official Gazette, and has come into force with immediate effect.
According to the notification, the word “syrups” has been omitted from Item 7 under the “Class of Drugs” column in Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Schedule K lists categories of drugs exempt from certain provisions relating to manufacture, sale and distribution under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules.
Official sources said the move is intended to bring syrup-based formulations under stricter regulatory control and improve monitoring of their manufacture and sale.
The amendment follows a draft notification issued in December last year inviting objections and suggestions from stakeholders. The Health Ministry said all comments received from the public were examined before finalising the amendment in consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), the country’s highest statutory body on technical matters related to drugs.
The decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of cough syrups and other liquid oral medicines following reports of contamination-linked child deaths in several countries over the past few years.
Sources said the latest amendment is expected to improve traceability and strengthen quality-control mechanisms by ensuring stricter compliance with licensing and regulatory requirements by manufacturers and sellers. (JKNS)
