By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : September 19, 2026 11:27 am
The move comes against the backdrop of continuing concerns over the sale of Schedule H, H1 and X medicines without valid prescriptions
The Union Health Ministry has proposed making CCTV surveillance mandatory at retail medical stores as part of a move to strengthen monitoring of prescription medicines and curb the unauthorised sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs.
The proposal is part of a draft amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, issued through Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791(E) dated September 8, 2026. The ministry has invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders and the public before the proposed changes are finalised.
Under the proposed amendment, the supply of any drug against a prescription issued by a registered medical practitioner, other than through wholesale dealing, would have to take place under a CCTV surveillance system installed and maintained at the licensed premises.
The recordings would have to be preserved for a minimum of three months, providing regulators with a verifiable record of prescription-drug sales when required. The proposed requirement is aimed at addressing concerns over the unauthorised access to and sale of medicines covered under Schedules H, H1 and X.
The proposal follows deliberations by the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB).
According to the Health Ministry, the DCC had earlier considered the use of CCTV cameras at medical stores and recommended that cameras be appropriately positioned within the premises so that sales could be verified. The DTAB subsequently recommended approval of the proposal.
The move comes against the backdrop of continuing concerns over the sale of prescription medicines without valid prescriptions. Schedule H, H1 and X medicines are subject to specific controls under the Drugs Rules, with Schedule X covering medicines requiring particularly stringent controls.
The proposed nationwide regulatory requirement builds on earlier efforts to introduce CCTV surveillance at pharmacies.
In 2022, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), in collaboration with the Narcotics Control Bureau, had advised states and Union territories to issue directions for CCTV installation at pharmacy and chemist shops selling Schedule H, H1 and X drugs, particularly to monitor their sale to children.
According to a 2024 Lok Sabha reply, 3,69,727 CCTV cameras had been installed at medical and pharmacy shops selling such medicines as of March 2024.
The proposed amendment would bring the requirement into the Drugs Rules framework, potentially creating a more uniform regulatory basis for surveillance at retail outlets.
The ministry said the measure is intended as an additional regulatory safeguard to improve transparency and accountability in the retail sale and distribution of prescription medicines. The proposal does not apply to wholesale dealing.
Stakeholders have been given 30 days to submit objections and suggestions, after which the government will consider the feedback before deciding on the final rules.