Pharmacies in Delhi are selling high-alcohol medicines without prescriptions despite new government rules requiring a license for such sales [1, 2].
This regulatory failure undermines a central effort to curb the misuse of potent medicinal alcohols and protect patient safety across India [3, 4].
Under the amended Drugs Rules, any medicine containing more than 12% ethyl alcohol [1] is now classified under Schedule H1. This classification mandates that pharmacies maintain a specific license to sell these products, and it requires customers to provide a valid doctor's prescription before purchase [1, 2]. The rules apply to a variety of treatments, including certain homeopathic remedies [2].
Despite these legal requirements, ground reports from the National Capital Territory of Delhi indicate that the rules are not being enforced at the retail level [1]. Pharmacy operators continue to dispense these high-alcohol medications over the counter without requesting medical documentation from buyers [1].
The Government of India introduced these changes to prevent the unauthorized use of alcohol-based medicines, a move experts said could reduce substance misuse and improve overall public health outcomes [3, 4]. By moving these substances to Schedule H1, the state intended to create a paper trail for every transaction involving high-concentration ethyl alcohol [2].
Currently, the gap between the national mandate and local pharmacy practices suggests a lack of oversight in the capital. While the legal framework now exists to restrict these substances, the actual availability of the drugs remains largely unchanged for the general public in Delhi [1].
“Pharmacies in Delhi are selling high-alcohol medicines without prescriptions”
The persistence of over-the-counter sales despite the Schedule H1 reclassification highlights a systemic gap between policy creation and field enforcement in India's healthcare sector. If pharmacies continue to ignore prescription requirements for high-alcohol medicines, the government's objective to reduce medicinal alcohol abuse will remain unfulfilled, potentially leaving the public vulnerable to the risks of self-medication and addiction.
