Who can prescribe GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic and Mounjaro in India?

Which doctors can prescribe Mounjaro or Ozempic in India?

A government statement on 1 Apr 2026 said only endocrinologists, internal-medicine specialists and cardiologists can prescribe them.¹ CDSCO expert-committee minutes attach a similar condition to some approvals (endocrinologist or internal-medicine specialist), but we found no rule covering every brand.^3,4

The statement is a backgrounder from PIB, the government's press office. It also says these medicines "cannot be purchased over the counter".¹ Its list includes semaglutide and tirzepatide, the medicines in Ozempic and Mounjaro.¹ (Is semaglutide the same as Ozempic?)

A week earlier, on 24 March 2026, the Health Ministry put it a little differently. It said the drug "has been approved in India with condition of prescription by Endocrinologists and Internal Medicine Specialist".² It went on: "and for some indications by Cardiologists only".² It did not say which indications (approved uses) need a cardiologist.

The wording has narrowed over a month. Medical Dialogues reported the regulator's advisory of 10 March 2026. It said GLP‑1s "must only be prescribed by registered medical practitioners as per the approved indications".⁷ That covers any registered doctor; the later statements name specialists.^1,2

Tablets count too. The 1 April statement says some GLP‑1s, "like oral semaglutide", come as tablets.¹ In India that is Rybelsus; see Is there an Ozempic tablet?

What do CDSCO's expert-committee minutes say?

In 2023 the committee tied tirzepatide's retail sale to an endocrinologist's or internal-medicine specialist's prescription. Its 2024 minutes show semaglutide already carried that condition. Its 2025 minutes for generic semaglutide name no specialty.^3,4,5,6

CDSCO is India's drug regulator. Its subject expert committee (SEC) for endocrinology advises the regulator on new medicines and publishes minutes.³ We read every minute below in full.

From CDSCO's published SEC minutes, read in full on 5 Oct 2026. Archived copies are linked in the sources.

Novo Nordisk asked to widen the list in 2024. It wanted gynaecologists (obstetricians and gynaecologists) and bariatric (weight-loss) surgeons added to the warning.⁴ The committee noted the medicine was "not yet launched in India". It asked first for safety data from Indian patients.⁴

Minutes are not the final permission. Each minute records a recommendation "for grant of permission".^3,6 We could not find the permission letters, so we can't say what conditions they carry. The regulator does say conditions exist. In May 2026, the Drugs Controller General said notices went to entities "violating conditions of permission and on-label warnings".⁸

Cardiologists don't appear in any minute we found. They come only from the March 2026 statement's "for some indications" line and the 1 April statement.^1,2

Can a GP or MBBS doctor prescribe a GLP-1?

The legal definition of a registered doctor includes MBBS doctors, but the government statements name only three specialties. We found no rule that settles a GP's GLP‑1 prescription either way.^1,13

India's Drugs Rules define a "registered medical practitioner" broadly. It includes anyone on a state register "of persons practicing the modern scientific system of medicine".¹³ The same definition also covers dentists and vets, so it says nothing about specialties.¹³

Medicines on the official prescription list (Schedule H) may be sold only on such a doctor's prescription.¹³ Pharmacy websites call GLP‑1s Schedule H.¹⁹ But semaglutide and tirzepatide do not appear anywhere in CDSCO's compiled Drugs Rules, updated to July 2024.¹³

What inspectors check in practice. In April 2026, Telangana's Drugs Control Administration (DCA) named one violation as "sale of prescription drugs without valid prescriptions from specialists".¹⁰ Its advisory said these medicines should be bought "only against a valid prescription issued by specialists".¹⁰ So a chemist in Telangana may refuse a GP's prescription. We found no other state's written policy.

Doctors' groups want it narrower still. In March 2026, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) planned to ask the government to exclude "any MBBS".¹² We found no rule that followed it.

AYUSH doctors. The legal definition excludes the homoeopathy register by name.¹³ The government statements name no Ayurveda, homoeopathy, Unani or Siddha doctors.^1,2 Guide 6 covers GPs, AYUSH doctors and online visits.

Fees. On Practo's first results pages in 6 cities, the median listed fee was ₹1,100 for an endocrinologist. For a general physician it was ₹1,000.¹⁸

How do you check that a doctor is registered?

Search the National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register by name, registration number, year or state council. Then match what you find to the prescription.¹⁵

Under the NMC Act, only doctors on a state or national register may "practice medicine as a qualified medical practitioner".¹⁴ Breaking that can mean up to 1 year in prison, a fine of up to ₹5 lakh, or both.¹⁴

• Find the number. India's 2020 telemedicine guidelines say every doctor "shall display the registration number" on prescriptions, websites and WhatsApp messages.¹⁷
• Search the register. The NMC page searches by name, year of registration, registration number or state medical council.¹⁵
• Match the details. Check that the name, council and qualification fit the prescription. A doctor's later degrees, such as an MD, can be entered against their name.¹⁴
• Check the blacklist. The same page has a "Black List Doctor" view.¹⁵
• If the doctor isn't listed. The page says its data "is being updated". Search the state medical council's own register.¹⁵

A newer register is coming. In September 2024, the NMC began registering doctors on a National Medical Register (NMR), each with a unique ID.¹⁶ When we checked on 5 Oct 2026, the older search page was still live.¹⁵

What must a chemist do with your prescription?

A registered pharmacist must supervise the sale, record it and give you a bill. For Schedule H medicines, the chemist also writes the shop's name and the date on your prescription.¹³

These duties come from Rule 65 of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Some apply to every prescription; some only to Schedule H, H1 or X medicines.¹³

• A pharmacist hands it over. Any medicine supplied on a prescription must be sold by or under a registered pharmacist.¹³
• You get a bill. Every retail sale needs a cash memo with the shop's name, address and licence number, and the medicine and quantity.¹³
• The sale is recorded. The prescription register lists the date, the doctor's and patient's names and addresses, and the medicine and quantity.¹³ For Schedule H, the maker, batch number and expiry date go in too.¹³ Records are kept for at least 2 years.¹³
• The prescription itself. For Schedule H, it must be written, signed and dated. It must name you and give your address, the total amount and the dose.¹³
• One fill, unless the doctor says more. A Schedule H prescription can't be dispensed more than once unless the doctor writes that it may be.¹³
• No swaps. The chemist may not supply another preparation "in lieu" of the one prescribed.¹³ Many semaglutide brands now exist; see what changed when the patent expired.
• Who keeps the paper. Only Schedule X prescriptions are made in duplicate, with a copy kept for 2 years.¹³ GLP‑1s are not on that list.¹³ For Schedule H, the shop's name and the date are written on your prescription.¹³

We could not find GLP‑1s on the official Schedule H list, so some of these duties may not strictly apply.¹³ Inspectors check them anyway. Telangana's drives cited missing prescription registers, missing bills and sales without a registered pharmacist.^9,11

What has changed since April 2026?

We found no new national rule after the 1 April statement. The action since then has been enforcement, with Telangana's two drives the most detailed we found.^9,11

• 10 Mar 2026CDSCO advisory to manufacturers: no surrogate (disguised) promotion; prescribing by registered doctors for approved uses.⁷
• 24 Mar 2026Health Ministry release: 49 sites inspected, from online pharmacy warehouses to slimming clinics; notices sent.²
• 25 Mar 2026The IMA says it will ask the government to limit who prescribes.¹²
• 27 Mar 2026CDSCO circular warns of action under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.⁸
• 1 Apr 2026Government backgrounder names the three specialties.¹
• 18 Apr 2026Drugs Consultative Committee, as reported: states to act on violations. The drug-safety body (IPC) to review side-effect reports every 1–2 months.⁷
• 23 Apr 2026Telangana DCA: show-cause notices to 75 shops.⁹
• 19 May 2026CDSCO asks states to watch print, TV, digital, social and outdoor ads for surrogate promotion.⁸
• 14 Aug 2026Telangana DCA raids: notices to 43 more shops; its advisory names cardiologists "in certain cases".¹¹

What we did not find, as of 5 Oct 2026. No gazette notice adding GLP‑1s to Schedule H. No National Medical Commission advisory on prescribing them. No published permission letter. If you have seen one, tell us and we'll add it.

Advertising rules get their own post: Why you won't see GLP-1 ads in India

Questions people ask

The short version of this post is our Answer Do you need a prescription for GLP-1 medicines in India? Online visits get their own post: Is an online prescription for Mounjaro or Ozempic valid in India?

How we researched this

More from the India blog

INIndiaFake Ozempic and Mounjaro pens: how do you check yours in India? INIndiaWhat changed for Ozempic when semaglutide's patent expired in India? INIndiaIs there an Ozempic tablet? Rybelsus and oral semaglutide in India