India, June 18 -- The Haryana Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Wednesday issued a clarification to the Gurugram Chemists and Druggists Association (GCDA), stating that the recent amendment to Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945, does not automatically classify all cough syrups as prescription-only medicines. The clarification followed concerns raised by chemists over the Centre's decision to tighten controls on the sale of such formulations.

The State Drugs Controller-cum-Licensing Authority said the omission of the word "syrup" from Schedule K only withdraws an exemption previously available to chemists operating under restricted licences - a provision that allowed the sale of certain syrup formulations under relaxed conditions th...