{
  "id": 17353480,
  "title": "Pregabalin to come under tighter curbs from Nov 12, Punjab had sought regulation since 2023",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/pregabalin-to-come-under-tighter-curbs-from-nov-12-punjab-had-sought",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-31T06:15:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/pregabalin-to-come-under-tighter-curbs-from-nov-12-punjab-had-sought-regulation-since-2023-10944550/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Starting from November 12, a new drug called Pregabalin will face stricter regulations in Punjab. The government decided to take this action after Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug activist, was shot dead on October 13, allegedly by a chemist who had confronted Jhota about the sale of addictive medications. In response, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare included Pregabalin in Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, effective immediately. This classification was previously less stringent and now requires chemists to only dispense the drug with a prescription from a registered medical practitioner. Prior to this, Punjab had been advocating for regulation of Pregabalin since 2023, citing its high potential for misuse and abuse, particularly among young individuals. The state had formally requested this change in October 2023, and followed up in September 2024 and April 2025. Pregabalin is primarily used to treat neuropathic pain, chronic pain, and various neurological conditions. However, there have been growing concerns about its unauthorized use for sedative and dissociative effects. The decision to regulate Pregabalin follows reports of misuse and abuse from other states, as well as seizures of illegally stocked and sold supplies across the country. Under the new schedule, chemists must maintain separate records of prescriptions and sales, which must be preserved for a specified period to aid regulators in monitoring the drug's distribution. This move comes after the Punjab Chemist Association decided to halt the sale of Pregabalin following Jhota's killing, alleging that raids targeting legitimate chemists were causing harm to their businesses. Despite this, the association emphasized that Pregabalin is an essential medication for neurological disorders and diabetes-related complications. The regulatory action also extends to other potentially misused drugs, with tapentadol, carisoprodol, flupentixol, zopiclone, and gabapentin set to be included in Schedule H1, while dicyclomine hydrochloride remains under Schedule H.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}