A government committee is considering a plan to make it easier for people to buy certain medicines in India. This proposal would allow commonly used drugs, like cough syrups and fever medication, to be sold at general stores without needing a doctor’s prescription.
The aim of this plan is to improve access to healthcare, especially in rural areas where doctor visits might be difficult. This committee was formed to create India’s first official “Over-the-Counter” (OTC) drug policy.
OTC drugs are medicines considered safe for self-use without needing a prescription.
The committee discussed this suggestion during a recent meeting. They are looking at how other countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, handle the sale of OTC drugs. These countries have clear guidelines for which medicines can be sold without a prescription and how they should be used.
Currently, India has regulations for prescription drugs, but there are no clear rules for OTC medicines. In most cases, a medicine is considered OTC unless it’s specifically labeled as prescription-only. This committee’s work is the first attempt to create a proper OTC policy for India.
The committee has already proposed an initial list of drugs that could be sold over the counter. This recent meeting focused on discussing whether any medicines should be added or removed from this list.
If this plan is implemented, it could make it easier and faster for people to get common medicines, particularly in areas with limited access to doctors. However, the committee is still in the discussion phase, and no final decisions have been made yet.
You might also be interested in – Alcohol content in medicines may be regulated, according to the Health Ministry
