Srinagar- Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Dr Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, on Monday emphasized the need for rational medication in children, warning against the misuse of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold syrups.

He made these remarks while chairing a meeting at the Civil Secretariat, attended by Commissioner, Food & Drugs Administration J&K, Smita Sethi, heads of paediatrics departments from all government medical colleges, and officers from divisional and district levels of the Drugs Control Organisation.

The meeting was convened following a recent communication from the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, which advises that cough and cold medicines should not be prescribed or dispensed to children under two years of age.

Dr Shah highlighted the urgent need to ensure patient safety and promote evidence-based paediatric care across Jammu and Kashmir. He directed medical professionals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and regulatory authorities to strictly comply with national guidelines and best practices.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers in J&K were instructed to adhere to WHO-GMP standards, carry out complete impurity profiling as per the latest pharmacopeial standards, and ensure the safety and quality of their products.

Drugs Control Officers were asked to sensitize chemists and pharmacists against the OTC sale of cough and cold syrups without a valid prescription and to conduct regular sampling and testing under Section 23 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. Violations, Shah warned, could lead to strict penal action, including suspension or cancellation of licenses under Rule 66 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules.

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