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Schedule H1

Definition

Forty-six substances notified by the 2013 amendment (Drugs and Cosmetics Fourth Amendment Rules, 2013, GSR 588(E) dated 30 August 2013, in force from 1 March 2014), covering antibiotics, anti-TB drugs and habit-forming preparations. Pharmacist must maintain a separate register for three years and retain a copy of the prescription.

Year of amendment
2014
Record retention period
Three years
Regulatory rule
Rule 65(11A) of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945

Common questions

What drugs fall under Schedule H1?+

Schedule H1 includes 46 substances notified in a 2014 amendment, primarily antibiotics, anti-TB drugs, and habit-forming preparations. Specific drugs in this category are alprazolam, nitrazepam, and zolpidem, which are tranquilizers, sedatives, and hypnotics.

What record-keeping rules apply to Schedule H1 drugs?+

Pharmacists and chemists must maintain a separate register for three years with prescriber and patient details. A copy of the original prescription must also be retained for the same period.

Which laws govern Schedule H1 in India?+

Schedule H1 is regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945, specifically Rule 65(11A), within the broader framework of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Related terms

Barbiturate
Cyclic ureide derivative of barbituric acid. Potentiates GABA-A. Sub-classed by duration of action: long (phenobarbital), intermediate (amobarbital), short (secobarbital, pentobarbital) and ultrashort...
Benzodiazepine
Fused benzene plus seven-member diazepine ring. Allosteric modulator of GABA-A at the alpha-gamma interface. Reversed by flumazenil.
CDSCO
Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, headquartered in Delhi, headed by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The federal regulator under the...
Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940
Central statute governing the import, manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs and cosmetics in India. Read with the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules...
FPN Reagent
Ferric chloride, perchloric acid and nitric acid mixture. Red to orange-red colour with phenothiazines (chlorpromazine and relatives). Screen of choice for major...
NDPS Act 1985
India's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985, the primary statute governing drug offences, establishing small and commercial quantity thresholds that determine...
Poison Act 1919
Seventeen-section central statute empowering state governments to notify substances as 'poisons' and to license their sale, possession and import. Still in force.
Schedule H
List of prescription drugs under the 1945 Rules; sold only on a registered medical practitioner's prescription. Includes most antibiotics, sedatives, antipsychotics and...
Schedule X
Psychotropic substances and narcotics notified under the 1945 Rules. Stored under double lock, register retained for two years, copy of prescription retained.
Sedative-Hypnotic
CNS depressant. Sedative dose calms (anxiolysis); hypnotic dose induces sleep; higher doses cause anaesthesia, respiratory depression and death.
Tranquillizer
Older umbrella term. Minor tranquillizers (benzodiazepines) treat anxiety. Major tranquillizers (phenothiazines, butyrophenones) are antipsychotics.
Z-Drug
Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic (zolpidem, zopiclone, eszopiclone) that binds the alpha-1 subunit of GABA-A selectively. Same date-rape and stupefying-robbery potential as the BZDs.

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