Prescription medicines such as antibiotics, hormonal therapies, psychotropics, cancer drugs, and narcotics carry high risks if used without medical supervision.

Unregulated advertising can encourage self-medication, incorrect dosing, delayed diagnosis, and drug misuse.

Misuse of antibiotics accelerates antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — one of the biggest global public-health threats.

Promoting prescription drugs like common consumer products leads to irrational demand, putting people at risk of side effects, drug interactions, and toxicity.

Digital platforms make such ads widespread, targeted, and persuasive, increasing the chance of harm to the general public.

Why Are Regulators Worried?

India’s Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) under CDSCO has flagged the rapid, poorly regulated promotion of prescription-only drugs across wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital platforms.

Life-saving injectables, narcotics, and other high-risk drugs are being marketed like over-the-counter products.

E-pharmacies and social-media ads often offer heavy discounts, pushing consumers to buy drugs without proper evaluation.

Such practices intensify problems like antibiotic overuse, resistance, addiction, and unsafe self-treatment.

Medicines Already Restricted From Advertising

Drugs listed in Schedule H, H1, and X cannot be advertised without central government approval.

These schedules cover antibiotics, controlled substances, hormonal and psychiatric medicines, and high-risk therapies.

A regulatory loophole: current rules restrict manufacturers, but not all sellers or distributors, allowing marketers to exploit gaps.

Rising wallet PLATFORM' target='_blank' title='digital-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">digital Promotion & Unsolicited Messages

State regulators report a surge in aggressive e-pharmacy advertisements for prescription drugs.

Social media is increasingly used to push such drugs to consumers.

Complaints have emerged about unsolicited ads for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs (e.g., Wegovy, Mounjaro), meant only for specialist-guided treatment.

New CDSCO Measures to Curb Misuse

CDSCO is considering making approval mandatory for every new antibiotic, even if the active ingredient already exists.

An expert panel recommends that all antimicrobials be classified as new drugs under the 2019 NDCT Rules.

This would require stricter scrutiny before manufacturing, launching, or marketing any antibiotic in India.

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