India, June 16 -- The Union Health Ministry has amended drug regulations to make all syrup-based medicines, including cough syrups, available only on a doctor's prescription, in a major move to strengthen pharmaceutical oversight and patient safety in India.

The decision has been implemented through the Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026, which have been officially notified in the gazette and came into effect immediately upon publication. Under the revised rules, "syrups" have been removed from the exempted category in Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945.

Schedule K earlier listed certain drug categories that were exempt from specific provisions related to manufacture, sale, and distribution under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. With this...