India, June 16 -- Amid drug quality and patient safety concerns, the Union Health Ministry has amended rules that earlier gave exemptions to cough syrups from manufacturing, distribution, and retail licensing regulations.

The rule mandates that cough syrup would no longer be available at establishments that do not process a drug retailing licence.

The move is aimed at bringing syrup-based formulations under stricter regulatory oversight and comes amid heightened scrutiny of liquid oral medicines following reports of contamination-linked child deaths in several countries.

The amendment has been notified through the Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, and came into force immediately upon publication in the official gazette on June 15. ...