Pregabalin, a drug flagged by Punjab for its potential misuse as habit forming sedative and for its dissociative effects, will come under stricter regulatory control from November 12. Its over-the-counter (OTC) sale will be prohibited, with chemists allowed to dispense it only against a valid prescription issued by a registered medical practitioner. The measures come into effect a month after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota was shot dead in Mansa on October 13, allegedly by a chemist whom he had confronted over the sale of addictive medicines.The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare notified the inclusion of Pregabalin under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, through notification G.S.R. 377(E), issued on May 13, 2026. The revised classification replaces its earlier, less stringent Schedule H status and makes it mandatory for retailers to maintain a separate record of prescriptions and sales.The move follows sustained efforts by the Punjab government, which had been pressing the Centre for nearly three years to regulate the drug, citing its addictive potential and growing concerns over its misuse, particularly among young people.A government official said Punjab first formally raised the matter with the Centre in October 2023. A demarche letter dated October 5, 2023, sought the inclusion of pregabalin formulations in Schedule H1 to restrict their sale to prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners.The state followed this up on September 30, 2024, seeking tighter regulation of seven drugs — Pregabalin, Gabapentin, Dicyclomine, Tapentadol, Zopiclone, Flupentixol and Carisoprodol.In April 2025, Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh also wrote to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, specifically flagging the addictive potential of Pregabalin and seeking its inclusion in a restricted category at the earliest.Pregabalin is commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain, chronic pain and certain neurological conditions. However, concerns have been raised over its unauthorised consumption for its sedative and dissociative effects. The Union Health Ministry said the decision followed reports from states about its misuse and abuse, particularly among youth, as well as seizures of illegally stocked and unauthorisedly sold supplies in parts of the country.Story continues below this adUnder Schedule H1, chemists will have to maintain a separate register recording details of the prescriber, patient and medicine supplied. These records must be preserved for the prescribed period, allowing regulators to track the sale of the drug.The regulatory move comes amid heightened scrutiny of the pharmaceutical supply chain in Punjab following Jhota’s killing. In the aftermath of the incident, the Punjab Chemist Association had announced a complete halt to the sale of pregabalin and decided to return existing stocks to distributors.However, the association maintained that the decision was prompted by what it described as indiscriminate action against licensed chemists during the administration’s crackdown on habit-forming drugs.Sudarshan Chaudhary, president of the Ropar district unit and senior vice-president of the Punjab Chemist Association, had alleged that raids by teams comprising drug department officials and large police contingents were targeting established chemists who maintained proper purchase and sale records. He said some raids involved as many as 20 personnel and that even minor discrepancies in stock registers were being treated as violations, damaging the reputation and livelihoods of legitimate businesses. “A noble person, an honest person shouldn’t be harassed. The elimination of drugs is not happening, but the elimination of chemists is happening,” he had said.The association argued that Pregabalin is an important medication prescribed for neurological disorders and diabetes-related complications, including by specialists at institutions such as PGI. It also questioned why enforcement agencies were not focusing sufficiently on unauthorised rural practitioners, unlicensed vendors and possible leakages higher up the supply chain, including manufacturers and distributors.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, Punjab’s efforts to regulate other medicines suspected of misuse are at different stages. The Centre is yet to decide on the state’s recommendation to bring tapentadol under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.Carisoprodol has already been notified as a psychotropic substance under the NDPS Act through notification S.O. 906(E), dated February 18, 2026. The Centre has also issued draft rules proposing its inclusion in Schedule H1.Similarly, draft rules proposing the inclusion of flupentixol, zopiclone and gabapentin in Schedule H1 were issued through notification G.S.R. 745(E), dated August 19, 2026. Dicyclomine hydrochloride is already covered under Schedule H of the Drugs Rules.The latest regulatory action is significant for Punjab, where the easy availability of prescription medicines with potential for misuse has been a recurring concern in the state’s campaign against drugs.