Prescription medicine ads may soon need Centre’s approval: Schedule H, H1, X drugs on list

The proposed Drugs (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette.

The government has proposed that prescription drugs, including those with a high potential for abuse and addiction, cannot be advertised without prior approval of the Centre.

The proposed Drugs (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette. (Representative)

The Union health ministry, in a draft notification issued on September 28 and published in the Gazette of India, has proposed inserting a new sub-rule in Rule 65 of the Drugs Rules, 1945.

"No advertisement of the drugs specified in Schedule H, Schedule H1 or Schedule X shall be made except with the previous sanction of the Central Government," the draft rules stated.

The proposed Drugs (Amendment) Rules, 2026, will come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette, according to the notification.

The government has invited objections and suggestions on the draft rules within 30 days from the date on which the Gazette containing the draft was made available to the public.

The draft has been issued under the powers conferred by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board.