The Indian government has taken a significant step to curb the misuse of alcohol-based medicinal products by introducing a prescription requirement for drugs containing over 12% alcohol. This move comes in response to concerns raised by states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, where there have been reports of medicinal tinctures being misused. The issue at hand is not the alcohol content of traditional spices like cardamom and ginger, but rather the high alcohol levels found in certain herbal and medicinal liquid preparations. These concentrated extracts, often containing 80-90% ethyl alcohol, are being sold as medicinal products despite their potential for misuse as intoxicants. The health ministry's amendment to the Drugs Rules aims to create a uniform regulatory framework, ensuring that these high-alcohol medicinal products are supplied through the regulated pharmaceutical supply chain and are not easily accessible without a prescription. This is a crucial step towards preventing the diversion and misuse of such products while maintaining their availability for genuine therapeutic use. The new rules will impact oral medicinal formulations, requiring them to be sold only against a registered medical practitioner's prescription and mandating pharmacies to maintain records of every sale. This regulation is a necessary measure to address the potential risks associated with the misuse of alcohol-based medicines and to protect public health.
