Doctor's prescription now must for buying cough syrups as govt bans over-the-counter sales

All cough syrups in India would now need a doctor's prescription as the government has removed the word 'syrups' from Schedule K of the Drugs Rules 1945, which allowed them to be sold over-the-counter. This comes after multiple severe incidents linked to contaminated syrups raised safety concerns. The change was notified on June 9 under Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026.