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Schedule H

A class of prescription-only medicines under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945.

A Schedule H medicine may be sold only against a valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner. The pack carries the Rx symbol and the warning that it is 'to be sold by retail on the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner only'.

Most of an Indian pharmacy's shelf is Schedule H — the great majority of antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, antidiabetics, steroids and antidepressants sit here. That is worth stating plainly because scraped drug databases frequently mark these as 'general', which is an absence of data rather than a finding that a medicine is over the counter.

Schedule H does **not** require a separate register. That is the difference from Schedule H1, which requires the prescription *and* a dedicated register entry retained for three years. Selling a Schedule H drug without a valid prescription is an offence under Section 27 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940.

Where a medicine's classification is unclear, the safe default is to treat it as prescription-required and verify against the current lists notified in the Gazette of India. A wrongly-refused sale costs a customer; a wrongly-permitted one can cost the licence.

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Related terms

Schedule H1Prescription-only medicines that additionally require a dedicated register entry under Rule 65. Schedule XThe most restricted class under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, requiring a separate licence and register. Rule 65The rule in the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules 1945 setting out sale conditions and record-keeping. Drug licence (Form 20 / Form 21)The retail licence required to sell medicines in India, issued by the state authority. Rx symbolThe mark on a pack indicating a prescription-only medicine.

All terms

Batch numberBreakage and damageCDSCOCGST, SGST and IGSTCold chainCredit noteDPCO (Drugs Prices Control Order)Drug licence (Form 20 / Form 21)Expiry returnFEFO (First Expiry First Out)Generic vs branded medicineGSTR-1GSTR-3BHSN codeInput tax credit (ITC)Loose sale (cut strip)MRP (Maximum Retail Price)Narcotic registerNear-expiry stockNPPAPack factor (units per pack)Pharmacist registrationPTR (Price to Retailer)PTS (Price to Stockist)Purchase invoiceRed-border warning labelReorder levelRetail vs wholesale drug licenceReturn to vendor (RTV)Rule 65Rx symbolSalt compositionSchedule HSchedule H1Schedule XScheme goods (free goods)Shortbook (short book)Stock rotationStockist

This glossary is a practical reference for Indian retail pharmacy, not legal, tax or clinical advice. Requirements under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules are enforced by state drug control authorities and vary; GST treatment should be confirmed with your CA. Verify anything you intend to rely on against the current notified position. As of August 2026.