Prescription drugs sold at pharmacies and other licensed retail premises may soon come under CCTV surveillance, with the Centre proposing a new requirement to make prescription-based medicine sales verifiable. According to a draft notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on September 8, 2026, the supply of any drug made on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner, other than wholesale dealing, would have to take place under a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system installed and maintained at the licensed premises. The proposed rules would also require the CCTV recordings to be preserved for a minimum of three months.

Government sources said the proposed measure is aimed at curbing the unauthorised sale of prescription medicines over the counter, strengthening monitoring and improving accountability in drug dispensing. The move comes…