CCTV Cameras May Become Mandatory at Medical Stores

The Health Ministry has proposed making CCTV surveillance mandatory at medical stores to curb the sale of prescription medicines without valid prescriptions. A draft notification issued on September 8, 2026, proposes an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945.

Under the proposed new sub-rule 2A after Rule 65(2), the sale of prescription-only medicines would have to take place under CCTV surveillance. The move primarily aims to monitor the sale of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs and prevent their unauthorised sale.
The proposal has already been cleared by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board after discussions in the Drugs Consultative Committee. The ministry has now invited public comments and objections.
The move comes after a LocalCircles survey found that 64% of consumers said their local chemist never or rarely asks for a doctor’s prescription. The survey covered more than 1.06 lakh people across 327 districts.
Only 15% said their chemist mostly or always dispenses medicines against a prescription. Meanwhile, just 31% said they were usually assisted by a qualified pharmacist, while 13% said the person assisting them was not a qualified pharmacist.

Schedule H includes medicines used to treat serious conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and allergies. The proposed CCTV system is intended to improve monitoring of their sale, maintain accountability and help prevent misuse or unauthorised dispensing.