A proposal to make CCTV surveillance mandatory at retail pharmacies has triggered opposition from Delhi chemists, who say recording medicine purchases and pharmacist-patient conversations could expose sensitive health information and burden small businesses.
The Retail Distribution Chemist Alliance (RDCA), a Delhi-based body representing chemists, has opposed the proposed insertion of Rule 65(2A) in the Drugs Rules, 1945. In a representation to the Union health ministry, RDCA president Sandeep Nangia urged the government to reconsider the proposal, which would require retail pharmacies to install CCTV cameras and retain footage for at least three months.
The association said it supports efforts to ensure the lawful dispensing of medicines but argued that blanket surveillance across retail pharmacies could discourage patients from discussing sensitive medical conditions. It identified purchases related to reproductive and sexual health, psychiatric and neurological conditions, chronic illnesses, and medicines for children and elderly people as areas where confidentiality may be particularly important.
RDCA also said the person purchasing a medicine may not be the patient. Medicines are often bought by family members on behalf of spouses, parents, children or other relatives, meaning that CCTV footage could reveal information about people who are not present at the pharmacy. The association said customers may not want their identity, appearance, medical discussions or medicine purchases recorded.
The body further pointed to the advice routinely provided by pharmacists on dosage, administration, precautions, drug interactions and treatment duration. According to RDCA, these conversations can involve confidential health information and may be captured by cameras installed inside pharmacies. It argued that CCTV footage cannot replace prescriptions, invoices, registers and other statutory records because recordings cannot establish whether a prescription was clinically appropriate or whether all regulatory requirements were followed.
The proposed retention of footage has also raised questions about access, storage and sharing. RDCA sought safeguards to prevent misuse, leaks or theft of recordings, while also flagging the operational costs faced by small pharmacies. Equipment maintenance, camera failures, power interruptions and internet disruptions could add to compliance difficulties, the association said.
The chemists’ body called for a risk-based approach and protection against penalties where a technical failure is documented. The representation places the proposed rule at the intersection of medicine regulation, patient confidentiality and the compliance capacity of neighbourhood pharmacies. The Union health ministry’s response to the objections was not stated in the report.
