New Delhi, September 17: The Union health ministry has proposed making CCTV cameras compulsory at pharmacies that stock Schedule H, H1 and X medicines, as part of a wider set of amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945.
The proposal is contained in a draft gazette notification, G.S.R. 791(E), dated 8 September 2026, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
What the draft rules propose
Schedule H, H1 and X cover medicines that cannot legally be sold without a doctor’s prescription, including some habit-forming drugs. The ministry says the changes are meant to address the illegal sale and purchase of these controlled substances, with CCTV surveillance at retail chemists proposed as the main safeguard.
Once in force, the cameras are expected to help track how these medicines move through the retail chain and make it harder to sell them without a valid prescription. The ministry says the requirement should also make pharmacies more accountable for what leaves their shelves.
How the proposal got here
The draft first went to the Drugs Consultative Committee, which examined it before referring it to the Drugs Technical Advisory Board. The board has since reviewed and endorsed the amendments.
Sending in feedback
The health ministry has invited comments from the public and other stakeholders. Responses can be sent to the Under Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, U-6, Work Hall-C Wing, First Floor, Kartavya Bhawan-1, New Delhi-110001, or by e-mail to drugsdiv-mohfw[at]gov[dot]in. The full notification is available on the government’s e-Gazette portal.