Draft Rules Propose Mandatory CCTV at Chemists Selling Schedule H, H1 and X Drugs

1
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 through Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791(E) dated 8 September 2026.
2
The amendment would make CCTV surveillance mandatory at medical stores, to curb unauthorised sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs without valid prescriptions.
3
The proposal was deliberated by the Drugs Consultative Committee and recommended for approval by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board; objections and suggestions have been invited from the public.

●Instrument: Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791(E) dated 8 September 2026, amending the Drugs Rules, 1945.
●Proposal: mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores selling Schedule H, H1 and X drugs.
●The Drugs Rules, 1945 are framed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
●Schedule H covers prescription drugs and Schedule X narcotic and psychotropic drugs; Schedule H1, added by G.S.R. 588(E) of 30 August 2013, covers certain third- and fourth-generation antibiotics, anti-TB and habit-forming drugs.
●Schedule H1 sales go into a separate register with prescriber, patient, drug and quantity, retained for three years and open to inspection.
●Route: examined by the Drugs Consultative Committee, then recommended by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, the technical advisory body under the 1940 Act.
●Objections and suggestions have been invited before finalisation.

Exam Relevance

upsc

GS Paper 2 > Governance > Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies

Expected Questions

★Which schedule of the Drugs Rules, 1945 covers antibiotics requiring a separate sales register maintained for three years?

Key Terms

Schedule H1

A category added to the Drugs Rules, 1945 in 2013 covering certain antibiotics, anti-TB and habit-forming drugs, whose sale must be recorded in a separate register kept for three years.

G.S.R.

General Statutory Rules - the prefix used for subordinate legislation published in the Gazette of India.

priority_highMust Remember

•Draft Gazette Notification G.S.R. 791(E), dated 8 September 2026, amends the Drugs Rules, 1945.
•Schedule H1 was introduced in 2013; its register must be retained for three years.
•The Drugs Technical Advisory Board is the technical advisory body under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

tips_and_updatesExam Tips

•Do not confuse the Act with the Rules: the Drugs and Cosmetics Act is of 1940 and the Drugs Rules of 1945, and questions often swap the two years.

Question 1 of 2Score: 0/0

Factual

Which schedule of the Drugs Rules, 1945, introduced in 2013, covers certain third- and fourth-generation antibiotics and anti-TB drugs whose sale must be entered in a separate register kept for three years?

Current Affairs Pulse

Draft Rules Propose Mandatory CCTV at Chemists Selling Schedule H, H1 and X Drugs

Key Points

Quick Facts

Exam Spotlight

Exam Relevance

Expected Questions

Key Terms

priority_highMust Remember

tips_and_updatesExam Tips

Practice Quiz

Which schedule of the Drugs Rules, 1945, introduced in 2013, covers certain third- and fourth-generation antibiotics and anti-TB drugs whose sale must be entered in a separate register kept for three years?

articleMore from 17 Sept 2026

Crocodile-Rich Fitzroy River Cleared as Brisbane 2032 Rowing and Canoeing Venue

Sway DaSafo, First Unsigned Artist to Win a MOBO Award, Dies at 44

Maldives Clears Final $50 Million, Fully Repays $150 Million SBI Facility to India

Tata Electronics Signs 16 MoUs at SEMICON India 2026 for Chip Supply Chain

PMKKKY Completes 10 Years: Over 4.70 Lakh DMF Projects Worth Rs 1.09 Lakh Crore Sanctioned

Sitharaman Inaugurates 'Bharat Vann' Miyawaki Urban Forest at Delhi's Lodhi Colony

25th SCO Economic and Trade Ministers' Meeting in Dushanbe Agrees 2026-2030 Action Plan

TCS Launches Custom System-on-Chip Design Services for Automakers and Chip Firms

Applied Materials Commits $5 Billion to India Under 'India Vision 2035' at SEMICON India

US Drone Firm Powerus Signs MoU with Pakistan Army, Wins Initial UAS Order

US Approves $24.3 Billion Sale of 48 F-35 Stealth Jets to Saudi Arabia

Madurai Meenakshi Temple Holds Maha Kumbabishekam After 17 Years