Alcohol-Rich Medicines Brought Under Tighter Control
The Centre has made alcohol-rich medicines prescription-only to curb misuse and diversion.
Common medicines including cough syrups, expectorants, tinctures and herbal extracts containing more than 12 per cent ethyl alcohol will now be dispensed only on prescription, after the Centre amended the Drugs Rules, 1945, and removed their Schedule K exemption. The move aims to prevent misuse, diversion and sale of alcohol‑rich formulations that were earlier available more freely.
Medicines now covered under tighter control include tincture of cardamom for digestive discomfort, tincture of ginger for nausea and stomach complaints, and other aromatic tinctures used for gastrointestinal purposes, said Rajesh Kumar, a pharmacist from Inderbagh in Koti. Alcohol‑based oral drops and liquid preparations for coughs and colds may also fall under scrutiny if their alcohol content crosses the prescribed threshold. Certain homoeopathic, Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani liquid preparations with alcohol levels above 12% will likewise face stricter supply control.
According to the ministry’s order issued last Friday, some of these products contain high alcohol levels, in certain cases up to 60–70 per cent v/v, making them vulnerable to diversion for intoxication if sold without checks. The amendment now places products with more than 12 per cent v/v ethyl alcohol in quantities exceeding 30 mL under Schedule H1, meaning they can be sold only against a prescription issued by a registered medical practitioner, with stricter record‑keeping.
An industry expert described the step as a practical public‑health intervention, noting that such formulations were being treated like routine counter medicines despite their alcohol load. Tighter licensing and prescription control, the expert said, would reduce abuse while preserving access for patients who genuinely need them.
Misuse of these medicines has included non‑medical consumption for intoxication, bulk purchasing for diversion and sale outside the regulated pharmaceutical supply chain. The government said the amendment is intended to close these loopholes and ensure the medicines are used only for legitimate therapeutic purposes.
