CCTV Mandate at Pharmacies for Schedule Drugs in Delhi Draws Objections from RDCA
New Delhi: Pharmacists and retail chemists in the national capital have raised strong objections to district-level orders mandating the installation of CCTV cameras in pharmacy shops selling scheduled medicines, terming the move legally unsound, financially burdensome, and inconsistently enforced. The Retail Distribution Chemist Alliance (RDCA) has urged the Delhi government to immediately intervene and withdraw the directions, stating that there is no provision under existing drug laws mandating such surveillance in chemist outlets.
The opposition follows separate orders issued by the South Delhi District Magistrate in August 2025 and the North-East Delhi District Magistrate in December 2025, which require chemist shops dealing in Schedule H, H1 and X drugs, including antibiotics, psychotropic substances and narcotics, to install CCTV cameras inside and outside their premises. The orders also empower drug control officials, sub-divisional magistrates and police personnel to access CCTV footage during inspections, while warning of legal action against non-compliant shop owners.
The RDCA, representing over 10,000 licensed pharmacists and retailers in Delhi, has argued that district magistrates have exceeded their authority, as the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and its associated rules do not mandate CCTV installation in pharmacies. The association further highlighted that issuing such orders at the district level has resulted in uneven implementation across Delhi, creating confusion, fear and uncertainty among pharmacists, particularly small and independent shop owners.
The alliance has also expressed concern over the additional financial burden imposed by the directive, citing the costs involved in installing cameras, monitoring equipment and data storage systems. According to the RDCA, many small pharmacies are already struggling with rising operational and compliance costs, and imposing surveillance requirements without stakeholder consultation is unjustified.
According to a recent media report in The Tribune, RDCA president Sandeep Nangia has written to the Delhi Chief Minister seeking withdrawal of the orders and urging the government to hold consultations with pharmacists before introducing any new regulatory requirements that affect pharmacy operations.
While authorities maintain that the objective of the CCTV mandate is to prevent the illegal sale of prescription-only medicines and strengthen monitoring of controlled drugs, pharmacists have stressed that any such measure must be backed by clear legal provisions, uniform rules across districts, and safeguards to address patient privacy concerns.
