20 Aug 2026 (Navroze Bureau) : To prevent the misuse of pregabalin and further strengthen the Punjab Government’s zero-tolerance policy against drug sales, Faridkot District Magistrate Rahul Chaba, IAS, has issued orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The orders will remain in force until October 3, 2026.
According to the order, the stocking and sale of pregabalin tablets or capsules with a strength above 75 mg has been completely prohibited in Faridkot district with immediate effect.
Pregabalin with a strength of 75 mg or less may be dispensed only against an original prescription issued by a doctor. Wholesalers, retailers, chemists, medical-store owners and pharmacies operating within hospitals have been directed to maintain complete records of the purchase and sale of the medicine.
At the time of dispensing the medicine, the original prescription must be stamped with the name of the medicine seller, date of dispensing and number of tablets or capsules supplied. Sellers must also ensure that the same prescription has not previously been used to obtain the medicine from another pharmacy. Supplying the medicine in quantities exceeding the period prescribed by the doctor will also be prohibited.
The District Magistrate said that information had been brought to the administration’s attention by various social organisations regarding the easy availability of pregabalin in the market and its widespread misuse as an intoxicating substance. A committee headed by the Civil Surgeon, Faridkot, was constituted to examine the matter and submit a report.
The committee expressed concern over the misuse of pregabalin formulations above 75 mg, particularly 300 mg tablets and capsules, and recommended restrictions on their sale in the larger public interest.
During meetings with representatives of the Indian Medical Association and Faridkot Chemists Association, it was also brought to light that pregabalin above 75 mg was being misused. The representatives recommended strict regulation of its sale.
The District Magistrate clarified that the purpose of the order is not to affect the availability of essential medicines for genuine patients, but to prevent the misuse of pregabalin and the growing tendency to use it habitually as an intoxicant.
To facilitate patients who legitimately require higher-strength pregabalin, a limited exemption has been provided to the medicine centre run by the District Red Cross Society at Civil Hospital, Faridkot. The Red Cross Secretary has been directed to maintain complete records of the purchase and sale of all strengths of pregabalin and ensure compliance with all other provisions of the order.
The District Magistrate appealed to all medicine sellers to strictly comply with the orders and urged the public to use the medicine only on the advice and prescription of a qualified doctor.
The move also comes amid tighter regulation of pregabalin nationally. In May 2026, the Union Health Ministry brought pregabalin under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, requiring its retail sale to be made only against a valid prescription and mandating prescription and sales records.