Amid reports of misuse, the Health Ministry has notified the inclusion of the popular painkiller Pregabalin under Schedule H1. The schedule contains the list of medicines which require a prescription, and pharmacists must retain a copy and log patient details for three years to prevent misuse.The decision has been taken in view of reports received from certain states regarding the misuse and abuse of Pregabalin, particularly among youth. The ministry said the measure was aimed at strengthening accountability across the supply chain, preventing unauthorised access, enhancing prescription monitoring, curbing illegal trafficking and safeguarding public health from drug misuse and abuse.“The drug, which is prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, neuropathies, fibromyalgia and certain neurological conditions, has reportedly been misused for its sedative, euphoric and dissociative effects. Recent seizures of illegally stocked and unauthorisedly sold Pregabalin have also been reported from some parts of the country,” the ministry said in a statement.Manufacturers shall prominently display the prescribed “Schedule H1 drug warning” label on the product packaging and violations and non-compliance will attract penal action. Presently, Pregabalin is under Schedule H. While Schedule H and Schedule H1 are both prescription-only drugs, the latter is much stricter. Introduced in 2013 to combat antimicrobial resistance and drug abuse, H1 includes select strong antibiotics, anti-TB drugs and habit-forming medicines.In 2022, a research titled ‘Pregabalin Use/Misuse: A Source of Consternation in Western Punjab’ published in Sage pointed out the misuse of Pregabalin among youth.