Why government wants CCTV at medical stores, and chemists don’t

The Union Health Ministry in India has proposed mandatory CCTV surveillance at medical stores to curb the abuse of prescription drugs, especially those listed under Schedule H, H1, and X of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The move aims to ensure stricter control over the sale of these habit-forming medicines, especially among children.

However, chemists have raised concerns over the financial burden this mandate would impose on small pharmacists and the potential violation of customer privacy. The proposed requirement will not apply to wholesalers. The draft notification, first proposed in 2021, aims to address concerns over unauthorized access to and sale of these prescription drugs.

The Ministry plans to share the CCTV footage with the child welfare police officer of a particular area, who would then verify whether a minor was sold these medicines without a prescription.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.