Presciption mandatory for cough syrups in India now; no more over the counter business

Gone are the days when you could walk into a pharmacy, mention your symptoms and get a cough syrup. In fact, you can't buy many similar syrups this way in India anymore. The Centre has tightened rules governing the sale of these medicines, amending the Drug Rules, 1945. From now on, customers will need a doctor's prescription to obtain the syrups they need from pharmacies.

'Syrups' have been removed from Schedule K of the Drug Rules, which have come into force already. The new rule follows a handful of incidents involving deaths of children in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, allegedly after consuming cough syrups made in the country.

Manorama News reports that, following the change, syrups for conditions like gastritis can no longer be purchased over the counter.

Earlier, the Centre banned around 14 cough syrups, including Phensedyl and Codistar, citing safety concerns. Dextromethorphan, which is a common ingredient in syrups, can be harmful to children. It can also cause respiratory difficulties, vomiting and drowsiness, especially in children under the age of two.

Why the move is beneficial
According to Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, former head of the Indian Medical Association, Kochi, the new rule is quite beneficial. Speaking to Manorama News, he said, "Some of the cough syrups in our markets have more than two medicines mixed in them. If not taken without proper care, these medicines can do more harm than good. When a doctor checks a patient, they can identify the exact ingredient required for a cure and can prescribe it. This is why prescriptions are important."

The doctor also said that many types of coughs and viral infections can be cured even without syrups.

More than 100 children's death
Indian-manufactured cough syrups have allegedly caused the deaths of more than 140 children internationally. In 2022, at least 70 children died in Gambia, according to Reuters, due to contaminated, Indian-made cough syrups. In Uzbekistan, between 2022 and 2023, around 68 children had reportedly died after ingesting similar Indian syrups.

The WHO had also issued alerts and flagged certain cough syrups made in pharmacies in Tamil Nadu and Punjab as contaminated in previous years.