New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry has recommended making CCTV surveillance mandatory in pharmacies to prevent the sale of Schedule H, H1, and X medicines across the country without proper prescriptions.
Some pharmacies sell sleeping pills, painkillers, and other medicines without a doctor’s prescription. These are being used for intoxication as well as suicide. Therefore, the Union Health Ministry has recommended making CCTV surveillance mandatory in pharmacies to prevent medicines from being sold without a doctor’s prescription.
In this regard, the statement issued by the Ministry of Health says: As an additional regulatory measure to strengthen the monitoring of the sale and distribution of Schedule H, H1, and X medicines in pharmacies, mandatory CCTV surveillance is being recommended. The ministry has sought objections and suggestions regarding this recommendation from the concerned parties and the public.
Suggestions and recommendations can be sent to the Deputy Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, or to the email address drugsdiv-mohfw@gov.in. This was stated there.
What are Schedule H, H1, and X drugs?
Schedule H drugs are medicines that can be sold only with a valid prescription obtained from a registered doctor. Schedule H1 is a subcategory of this, and Schedule X includes medicines such as those that are habit-forming, psychotropic, and narcotic drugs.
