New Delhi: Citing safety concerns, the government has imposed an immediate ban on the sale of cough syrups across the country without a prescription. These medicines will now be available only through licensed pharmacies and upon presentation of a doctor’s prescription.
Amending the regulations, the Union Health Ministry has removed ‘cough syrups’ from ‘Schedule K’. ‘Schedule K’ is the list of medicines that do not require a prescription from a registered medical practitioner. Cough lozenges, pills, or tablets will remain on this list.
The central government had issued draft guidelines regarding this matter last December and invited public opinion. This move follows the deaths of at least 22 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after consuming contaminated cough syrup. Around the same time, reports of children dying after consuming cough syrup also emerged from Rajasthan; however, in that instance, the children had consumed a syrup that was not intended for young children.
What does this mean? Now, if you need cough medicine, you will not be able to purchase it directly from a local pharmacy. A doctor’s prescription will be mandatory for all cough syrups, including those containing opioids like codeine, which carry a risk of addiction.
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