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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. A major food manufactured in the USA has removed all certified artificial colours from its food and beverage portfolio successfully, achieving its goal of fully eliminating them by the middle of this year. This move was announced in June 2025 and was confirmed that more than 90% of its U.S. portfolio was already free from synthetic dyes. These reformulated products have started arriving for consumption in the USA.
Source: short-url.cc/1xs6v

2. Hong Kong’s Department of Health has announced that medical gases will be regulated as pharmaceutical products from June 14, 2026, requiring manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to obtain relevant licences. Products containing nitrous oxide and nitric oxide will be classified as prescription medicines. Non-compliance may result in fines, imprisonment, and other regulatory enforcement actions.
Source: short-url.cc/1rZJs

3. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to multiple entities for alleged violations of current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) requirements and for the unlawful marketing of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs through telehealth platforms. These warnings address firms that do not meet quality standards and telehealth providers promoting unapproved products for weight loss. The FDA emphasised compliance with manufacturing, quality, and marketing rules, and cautioned that failure to address the identified violations could result in further regulatory action.
Source: short-url.cc/1xs6F

4. India’s Central government has amended the marine export laws for export administration, effective from 9th June 2026. To modernize export administration, the notification mandates online registration workflows and establishes revised fee schedules. The legislative intent is to digitize statutory record-keeping and enforce strict compliance protocols governing ownership transfers, facility modifications, and dealer licensing across vessels, processing plants, and storage premises.
Source: short-url.cc/1rZJV

5. The World Health Organization has urged countries to shift from visual inspection and cytology-based screening to Human Papillomavirus testing for cervical cancer prevention. The updated recommendation highlights superior accuracy in detecting high-risk infections and supports wider adoption of affordable, locally developed Human Papillomavirus tests to accelerate cervical cancer elimination efforts.
Source: short-url.cc/1xs6P

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued an Order on June 12, 2026 barring hospitals, doctors, and affiliated pharmacies from compelling patients to buy medicines exclusively from in-house pharmacies. Prescriptions must be handed directly to patients which gives the patients an option to pick pharmacy of their choice. This restriction put by hospitals on the choice of the patient to purchase medicines from their choice of a pharmacy amounts to unfair trade practices under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Further, hospitals must now display notices stating patients of their right to purchase medicines from any licensed pharmacy of their choice in English and Marathi.
Source: shortlink.uk/1xhAz

2. The Jharkhand High Court has directed a complete ban on the conduct of the “two-finger test” in all hospitals, medical colleges, and healthcare institutions across the State. Reiterating established legal and medical principles, the Court observed that the practice is unscientific, violates the dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy of survivors of sexual assault, and has no evidentiary value in determining consent or sexual history. The Court directed the concerned authorities to ensure strict compliance with existing guidelines and legal standards governing the medical examination of sexual assault survivors, while emphasizing the need for survivor-centric and trauma-informed medical care. The ruling reinforces the prohibition on the use of the test and underscores the obligation of healthcare institutions to adhere to prescribed medico-legal protocols.
Source: shortlink.uk/1xgoW

3. The Telangana Drugs Control Administration has reportedly intensified enforcement against illegal medicine distribution by raiding an unauthorized supplier of cardiac stimulant injections and an unlicensed medical shop. Authorities warned against unauthorized sales and supply of prescription medicines.
Source: shortlink.uk/1rOoZ

4. The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that strict compliance with the PCPNDT Act, 1994 is essential to prevent sex-selective practices and female foeticide. The Court held that deficiencies in mandatory records, including Form F, are not mere technical errors but substantive violations. Emphasising the Act’s objective, it observed that accurate documentation is a crucial safeguard for effective monitoring, enforcement, and prevention of unlawful sex determination practices.
Source: shortlink.uk/1xgqd

5.India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified an amendment to Drugs Rules, 1945 dated June 9, 2026. The amendment removes the term “Syrups” from Item (7) under Serial No. 13 of Schedule K of the Drugs Rules, 1945. This means that now syrups will be sold under a sales license only. Schedule K specifies certain classes of drugs and categories of persons or institutions that are exempt from specific provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Rules made thereunder, subject to prescribed conditions. The amendment came into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
Source: shortlink.uk/1rOqd

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has rejected a cosmetics import registration certificate and barred the importer from seeking fresh registrations for one year over alleged submission of fabricated documents under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. The move underscores stricter regulatory scrutiny and tougher enforcement of compliance standards in India’s cosmetics import sector.
Source: shortlink.uk/1vfpf

2. India’s Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the conviction of a clinic owner under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act 1994, observing that lapses in maintaining mandatory records, including Form ‘F’, cannot be treated as minor procedural defects. The Court emphasized that proper documentation is central to enforcement of the PCPNDT framework aimed at preventing female foeticide and preserving regulatory oversight of diagnostic practices. This is important as the ruling reinforces strict compliance expectations for clinics, diagnostic centres, and healthcare establishments operating under the PCPNDT regime. The judgment signals that deficiencies in statutory records may attract penal consequences even where procedural irregularities in inspection or search are alleged.
Source: shortlink.uk/1vfr5

3. Parliamentary Standing Committee has reportedly recommended expansion of Regional Raw Drug Repositories under the National Medicinal Plants Board, particularly in biodiversity-rich regions, to support documentation, authentication, conservation, and sustainable utilisation of medicinal plants used in Ayush systems. The recommendation reflects continued policy attention toward strengthening medicinal plant infrastructure and raw material quality within the herbal and phytopharmaceutical ecosystem.
Source: shortlink.uk/1pTkP

4. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) of India has launched a probe into the online sale of an allegedly unregistered herbicide on major e-commerce platforms, citing concerns over regulatory non-compliance and inadequate product disclosures. The action underscores rising scrutiny of hazardous products sold online and may push platforms to strengthen seller verification and compliance mechanisms.
Source: shortlink.uk/1vfpx

5. The Bombay High Court held that although infringement relief was unavailable in the “OCTRIDE” and “OTIDE” dispute due to both marks being registered, passing off protection could still be granted under common law. The Court cited the marks phonetic similarity, the Plaintiff’s prior goodwill and market reputation, and the heightened risk of confusion in pharmaceutical products.
Source: shortlink.uk/1pTl0

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued Notification revising GST rates effective September 22, 2025, after the 56th GST Council meeting. The GST rates for medical devices, drugs, food, beverages, and cosmetics have been notified.
Source: short-url.org/1f8PY

2. India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have issued a unified national protocols for evaluating in-vitro diagnostic kits for Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika and others. These guidelines set strict criteria on sensitivity, specificity, and quality, ensuring accurate diagnostics and strengthening regulatory oversight to improve access to quality-assured diagnostic kits in India.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Q4

3. The National Medical Commission has advised medical colleges to strengthen rabies case management via regular training, surveillance, and community outreach. Colleges must guarantee continuous supply of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and anti-rabies serum (ARS), maintain a register of animal bite exposure cases, and report suspected rabies cases through state nodal officers via IHIP under IDSP.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Qh

4. The Directorate General of Health Services is set to introduce new regulations establishing minimum standards for medical sample collection and transportation. These standards aim to ensure that blood, urine, and swab samples are handled by trained professionals and transported under proper conditions, including maintaining a cold chain, to prevent contamination and ensure accurate test results.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Qw

5. The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana suspended licences of 165 medical shops and permanently cancelled seven for retailing MTP kits without valid prescriptions or licensed supervision. 800+ inspections revealed violations including OTC sales of abortifacient drugs (mifepristone, misoprostol), lack of required records, and dispensing without qualified pharmacists.
Source: short-url.org/1f8QF