Health Ministry Proposes CCTV Cover at Medical Stores in Drugs Rules Overhaul
Draft gazette notification proposes mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores to curb unauthorised sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has moved to tighten oversight of regulated medicines, proposing amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 through a draft gazette notification issued on 8 September 2026.
The proposal, numbered G.S.R. 791 (E), is aimed at strengthening regulatory control over Schedule H, H1 and X drugs — categories whose sale is restricted and, in the case of Schedule X, subject to stricter conditions.
At the centre of the draft is a requirement for mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores. The ministry has framed the measure as an additional regulatory safeguard, responding to concerns about unauthorised access to and sale of these medicines.
The proposal has already moved through the ministry's advisory machinery. It was first examined by the Drugs Consultative Committee and later circulated among members of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board for their consideration. The DTAB, after deliberating on it, recommended that the proposal be approved.
According to the ministry, the amendment is expected to improve monitoring of how these drugs are sold and distributed, and to help curb their unauthorised access and sale without valid prescriptions. The surveillance mechanism is also intended to bring greater transparency and accountability to the pharmaceutical supply chain, reinforcing public health safeguards.
The draft has now been opened for public and stakeholder feedback. Objections and suggestions may be sent to the Under Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, U-6, Work Hall-C Wing, First Floor, Kartavya Bhawan-1, New Delhi–110001, or by email to drugsdiv-mohfw[at]gov[dot]in.
The notification is available on the e-Gazette portal.