The government has banned over-the-counter sales of all syrup-based medicines, including cough syrups, effective immediately. A Drugs (Fifth Amendment) Rules, 2026 notification removes the word "syrup" from Schedule K, meaning every bottle now requires a valid doctor's prescription. Tablets and lozenges remain available OTC.

The trigger: at least 22 children died in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district after consuming cough syrups contaminated with...