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The Union ministry of health and family welfare has published a draft notification proposing amendments to Rule 31 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, to rationalise the residual shelf-life requirement for imported drugs and promote Ease of Doing Business in the pharmaceutical sector.
The draft amendment, in a Gazette notification dated June 22, 2026, published for public consultation, proposes to revise the existing requirement of a minimum residual shelf life of more than 60 per cent for imported drugs to a minimum residual shelf life of 12 months at the time of import. However, in view of their specialised nature and public health considerations, the existing requirement of a minimum residual shelf life of more than 60 per cent shall continue to apply to biological products and radiopharmaceuticals.
The proposed amendment is to substitute the second proviso of Rule 31 of Drugs rules, to state, "Provided further that the licensing authority shall not allow the import of any drug having less than one year residual shelf-life period as on the date of import. However, in the case of biological drugs and radiopharmaceuticals, 60% of the labelled shelf-life may be allowed."
The proposed amendment seeks to facilitate greater efficiency in the pharmaceutical supply chain while maintaining the availability of quality medicines for patients. By ensuring that imported drugs have a minimum remaining shelf life of twelve months upon entry into the country, the proposal provides sufficient time for distribution and consumption before expiry, thereby ensuring that patients continue to receive medicines with adequate usable shelf life, said the Ministry in a press release.
The amendment is also expected to improve utilisation of pharmaceutical inventories across the supply chain by reducing avoidable wastage of medicines arising from restrictive residual shelf-life requirements. This, in turn, is expected to optimise supply management, reduce costs, and strengthen the availability of essential medicines in the country.
The Ministry has clarified that the proposed amendment pertains solely to the residual shelf-life requirement applicable at the time of import of drugs. The proposal does not alter any other regulatory requirements relating to the quality, safety or efficacy of medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs Rules, 1945.
The Ministry has invited objections and suggestions from all stakeholders on the draft notification to be submitted to the Under Secretary (Drugs), ministry of health and family welfare within the prescribed period of 30 days.
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