VINOD BHAT
NEW DELHI, Oct 3: In a significant move to ensure child safety and rational use of medicines, the Government of India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued an advisory cautioning against the indiscriminate use of cough syrups in the paediatric population.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), through an official circular dated October 3, 2025, has directed all State and Union Territory Health Departments to strictly regulate the prescribing and dispensing of cough syrups for children. The advisory underlines that most acute cough illnesses in children are self-limiting and often resolve without the need for pharmacological intervention.
The health ministry has categorically stated that cough and cold medications should not be prescribed or dispensed to children under two years of age. For children above two years, and especially those below five, prescriptions must be made only after careful clinical evaluation, strict supervision, and adherence to correct dosages and minimal treatment duration. The advisory further warns against the practice of combining multiple drugs in paediatric treatment.
Instead of relying on medications, the ministry has recommended non-pharmacological measures such as adequate hydration, sufficient rest, and supportive care as the first-line approach to managing cough in children.
The directive also emphasizes that all healthcare facilities, both government and private, must ensure that cough syrups and other medications are procured only from manufacturers following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and using approved pharmaceutical-grade excipients. This step, the ministry believes, is crucial to uphold the standards of care and safeguard children’s health.
In her communication, Dr. Sunita Sharma, DGHS, stressed the need for sensitizing prescribers and dispensers about rational drug use and ensuring widespread dissemination of this advisory across government dispensaries, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), district hospitals, and medical institutions.
This advisory comes in the backdrop of growing global concerns over the misuse of paediatric cough syrups, following reports of serious health risks and fatalities linked to substandard formulations in recent years. By reiterating the importance of evidence-based prescribing and preventive healthcare, the government hopes to curb the unnecessary exposure of children to potentially harmful medications.
Public health experts have welcomed the move, saying that it reinforces the principle of “less is more” in paediatric care and will go a long way in protecting vulnerable age groups from avoidable risks.
