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Govt Proposes Mandatory CCTV to Monitor Unauthorised Sale of Prescription Drugs
On September 8, 2026, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare proposed an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, requiring retail medical stores to install and maintain Closed-Circuit Television surveillance systems for prescription drug sales.
The ministry drafted the proposal to address concerns over "unauthorised access to and sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs," building on expert committee discussions about tracking Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances .
Draft Rule 65, sub-rule 2A mandates retail premises store surveillance recordings for at least three months, though the requirement explicitly excludes wholesale drug transactions from these new regulatory obligations.
Interested parties have 30 days to submit objections and suggestions, with feedback directed to the Under Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists previously argued that regulators should prioritize e-pharmacy oversight rather than impose additional constraints on brick-and-mortar stores, as Delhi implemented last year.