The Union health ministry has moved Pregabalin to the stricter Schedule H1 category, imposing tighter controls on its sale and distribution amid growing concerns over misuse and abuse.
Pregabalin, commonly prescribed for chronic pain and neurological conditions, can now only be sold with a registered medical practitioner's prescription.
Retail chemists must maintain a separate register for prescriptions and sales, while manufacturers must display a mandatory warning label on product packaging.
Violations will attract penal action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
