CCTV at Medical Stores: Mandatory Surveillance Proposal to Curb Drug Abuse

Gist The Union Health Ministry has proposed making CCTV surveillance mandatory at medical stores, requiring owners to retain footage for three months. This regulatory move aims to curb the unauthorized sale and abuse of prescription drugs, particularly pharmaceutical opioids, among children. While regulators view the cameras as a necessary deterrent, chemist associations strongly oppose the mandate, citing severe financial burdens, rural infrastructure deficits, and violations of patient privacy. Background The retail sale of medicines in India is governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 , which categorizes drugs into specific "Schedules" based on their risk profile and required level of regulatory oversight. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation CDSCO is India's national regulatory body for pharmaceuticals, and its Drugs Consultative Committee advises the government on uniform implementation of drug laws. Prior to this proposal, monitoring the illicit sale of habit-forming prescription drugs relied entirely on physical inspections and manual pharmacy logbooks, which proved insufficient to stop over-the-counter sales of restricted medicines to minors. The move towards digital surveillance was first proposed in 2021 specifically to tackle the rising epidemic…