New Delhi

TheUnion Health Ministry has amended the rules to remove “syrups … for cough” from Schedule K— the list of medicines exempted from the requirement of a prescription by a registered medical practitioner. Lozenges, pills or tablets for cough continue to remain on the list.

The Centre had released the draft guidelines, inviting stakeholder comments in December last year. The move came months after at least 22 children died in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district after consuming contaminated cough syrups. At the same time, there were reports of children in Rajasthan dying after consuming cough syrups but in that case, they took syrups not meant for young children.

Now, you would not be able to go to your neighbourhood pharmacy to get a cough syrup if you need one. Continued on Page 7