New Delhi: Oral medication containing more than 12 per cent of alcohol (particularly ethyl alcohol) can no longer be sold over the counter, the Government has notified.
The Union health ministry has made it clear that a prescription from a certified health specialist will be required to purchase these alcohol-rich medicines.
These medicines, packed and sold in bottles of more than 30 milliliters will now be exempted from a category which earlier allowed their easier sale, a Gazette notification issued by th
e Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, as reported by Deccan Herald.
This step has been taken to curb the misuse of medicinal formulations. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 has been amended and these alcohol-rich oral solutions have now been placed under Schedule H1, a legislation that exercises control on over-the-counter sales of certain drugs that essentially need a doctor’s note. Some antibiotics and psychotropic drugs also fall under this category.
These high-alcohol containing medicinal solutions were earlier exempted from strict licensing and prescription requirements and fell under Schedule K of the Drugs Act, making their availability easier for overuse or misuse.
The government also restricted the sale of cough syrups containing diethylene glycol (DEG) last month. Such syrups have also been removed from Schedule K of the Drug Rules and a prescription is now required to procure them.
The government also imposed a ban on production, storage and distribution of 16 fixed dose combination drugs last month after finding that they have no therapeutic justification and the risks associated with them outweigh the benefits.