NEW DELHI: The Centre has proposed mandatory CCTV surveillance at all pharmacies in the country to strengthen regulatory oversight and track the sale of prescription drugs.
The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has proposed an amendment to the Drugs Rules, 1945, to strengthen oversight of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs. The draft notification recommends mandatory CCTV surveillance at all medical stores as an additional safeguard against unauthorised access to and sale of these drugs.
“The proposed CCTV surveillance mechanism will also enhance transparency and accountability across the pharmaceutical supply chain, thereby strengthening safeguards for public health,” the ministry said.
The draft notification, dated September 9, states that CCTV recordings must be preserved for at least three months. The ministry has invited suggestions and objections from stakeholders and members of the public within 30 days.
However, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which represents around 15 lakh chemists, retail pharmacists and drug distributors, has urged the government to reconsider making CCTV cameras, DVR/NVR systems and related surveillance infrastructure mandatory at every pharmacy and medical shop.
AIOCD President J S Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal said lakhs of chemists provide medicines every day to nearly 140 crore citizens and stressed that serious irregularities are extremely limited.
They said making six to eight CCTV cameras, DVR/NVR systems, storage, wiring, internet connectivity and maintenance mandatory could impose an additional financial burden of approximately Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh or more on small and medium-sized chemists.
They also pointed out that frequent power failures, poor internet connectivity and the lack of trained technicians in rural and remote areas could make continuous CCTV recording difficult and impractical.
“A uniform requirement cannot reasonably be imposed on every small medical shop, particularly in economically weaker and remote areas,” they added.
The AIOCD requested that if CCTV surveillance is considered essential for public safety and regulatory monitoring, the government should provide the necessary infrastructure for its installation and maintenance.
“Alternatively, the mandatory requirement should be reconsidered and a practical and proportionate mechanism should be adopted,” they added.
“The genuine ground-level difficulties of small chemists be taken into consideration before imposing any additional infrastructure-related compliance,” they urged.
The ministry said the proposal comes amid efforts by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to strengthen monitoring of prescription and controlled medicines across the supply chain.
The use of CCTV to track the sale of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) medicines had been discussed earlier. The current amendment aims to create a verifiable record of sales at retail medical outlets and improve monitoring of prescription drugs.
The proposal was initially considered by the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) and later circulated among members of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). Following its consideration, the DTAB recommended its approval, the ministry said.
The proposed amendment is aimed at strengthening monitoring of the sale and distribution of Schedule H, H1 and X drugs and preventing their unauthorised access and sale without valid prescriptions.