Health Ministry Proposes CCTV Surveillance Mandate for Sale of Schedule H, H1 and X Drugs Under Drugs Rules, 1945

Exam-focused facts from the 20 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to mandate CCTV surveillance at licensed premises for the sale of prescription drugs.
The proposal aims to curb unauthorised access to and sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs, which include prescription-only medicines, antibiotics, habit-forming sedatives, and high-risk narcotics and psychotropic substances.
The proposal was deliberated by the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and circulated to the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), which recommended its approval.
Under the draft notification, CCTV footage must be preserved for three months, and the mandate will not apply to wholesale dealing.
Stakeholders and the public have been invited to submit suggestions and objections within 30 days.