Schedule H1 Register Format for Medical Stores (Free Sample)

Quick answer: a Schedule H1 register is a separate book (or file) in which a medical store records every sale of a Schedule H1 drug at the time of sale. Rule 65 of the Drugs Rules, 1945 asks for four things in each entry: the prescriber's name and address, the patient's name, the drug's name and the quantity supplied. Most stores also write the date, bill number, batch and expiry. The register must be kept for three years and shown to the drugs inspector when asked.

This guide gives you a ready H1 register format, shows how to recognise an H1 medicine on the shelf, and lists the mistakes that come up on inspection.

What is Schedule H1?

Schedule H1 was added to the Drugs Rules, 1945 by notification G.S.R. 588(E) of 30 August 2013, and came into force on 1 March 2014. It covers medicines that were being sold too freely without a prescription:

• Third- and fourth-generation antibiotics, for example cefixime and ceftriaxone
• Anti-TB medicines, for example isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide
• Certain habit-forming medicines, for example alprazolam

The list changes from time to time, so treat these as examples. The quickest check is the pack itself: every H1 medicine must carry the Rx symbol in red at the top left of the label, and this warning in a box with a red border:

Schedule H1 Drug - Warning:
- It is dangerous to take this preparation except in
  accordance with the medical advice.
- Not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a
  Registered Medical Practitioner.

If you see that box, the sale goes in the H1 register.

Schedule H1 register format (sample)

Rule 65 requires columns 4, 5, 6 and 7. The others are not in the rule, but they make each entry traceable to a bill and a batch, and inspectors and the national TB programme's format both use them.

#	Column	What to write	Required by Rule 65?
1	S. No.	Running number	Good practice
2	Date	Date of sale	Good practice
3	Bill no.	Your cash memo number	Good practice
4	Prescriber's name and address	Doctor's name and clinic or hospital address	Yes
5	Patient's name	As written on the prescription	Yes
6	Drug name and strength	Brand and strength as sold	Yes
7	Quantity supplied	Strips, tablets, vials	Yes
8	Batch no. / expiry	From the pack sold	Good practice
9	Doctor's registration no.	From the prescription	Good practice
10	Pharmacist's signature	Who dispensed	Good practice

Here is how a page looks when filled in:

SCHEDULE H1 REGISTER
Sharma Medical Store · Jayanagar, Bengaluru · DL No. KA-B12-20B-XXXXX

S.No | Date     | Bill  | Prescriber name and address        | Patient       | Drug and strength      | Qty      | Batch / Exp    | Sign
-----|----------|-------|------------------------------------|---------------|------------------------|----------|----------------|-----
 118 | 08-10-26 | 4471  | Dr. A. Kumar (Reg. 12345),         | Ravi Kumar    | Cefixime 200mg tab     | 1 strip  | CF1123 / 05-28 | RS
     |          |       | City Care Hospital, MG Road, BLR   |               |                        | (10 tab) |                |
 119 | 08-10-26 | 4475  | Dr. S. Rao (Reg. 67890),           | Meena Devi    | Alprazolam 0.25mg tab  | 10 tab   | AZ0921 / 11-27 | RS
     |          |       | Rao Clinic, 4th Block, Jayanagar   |               |                        |          |                |

Names, numbers and batches above are only an example of the layout.

How to keep the H1 register right

1. Write it at the counter, at the time of sale. Rule 65 says "at the time of supply". Filling it from memory at night is how gaps appear.
2. One line per supply. If the same patient comes back for a refill on a repeat prescription, that is a new line.
3. Copy the prescriber's address, not just the name. "Dr. Kumar" alone does not meet the rule.
4. Use a bound, page-numbered book or a locked file, so pages cannot be torn out or entries quietly changed.
5. Cross-check weekly. Your sales of each H1 medicine should match the quantity written in the register. A big gap is the first thing an inspector notices.
6. Keep each register for three years from the last entry, then archive it, not bin it.

Some states accept a register printed from software; others still want a handwritten book. Ask your State Drugs Control office what they accept before you stop writing by hand.

Schedule H vs H1 vs X

	Schedule H	Schedule H1	Schedule X
Prescription needed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Label	Rx and the Schedule H warning	Red Rx and the red-bordered H1 warning	XRx and its own warning
Separate register	Not required	Yes — kept 3 years	Yes, with stricter conditions
Examples	Most prescription medicines	Newer antibiotics, anti-TB, some sedatives	Narcotic and psychotropic medicines under strict control

Schedule X has rules of its own, including how prescriptions are kept. If you stock any Schedule X medicine, confirm the conditions on your licence with your State Drugs Control department.

Mistakes that show up on inspection

• No register at all, or one shared with the general sales book.
• Missing prescriber address — only the doctor's name written.
• Blank days while bills show H1 sales on the same dates.
• Entries in pencil, overwritten, or on loose sheets.
• H1 medicines sold without a prescription "just this once". The register only works if every sale has a prescriber to write down.
• Register thrown away before three years.

How OPDly helps

OPDly's pharmacy module lets you mark each medicine with its drug schedule (H, H1, X, G or none), and the schedule shows next to the medicine in your medicine list, so staff can see which ones need a prescription. Every sale has a running bill number, the batch and expiry it was sold from, and an optional customer name and phone, so the details you copy into the H1 register are on the bill in front of you.

To be clear: OPDly does not keep the Schedule H1 register for you yet. Keep your H1 book as you do today. For the rest of your stock, see the medicine stock register format and the medical store bill format, or start a free 30-day trial.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Schedule H1 register?

A separate register a medical store keeps for every sale of a Schedule H1 drug, recording the prescriber's name and address, the patient's name, the drug's name and the quantity supplied, at the time of sale. It is required by Rule 65 of the Drugs Rules, 1945.

How long should the Schedule H1 register be kept?

Three years. It must be open for inspection by the drugs inspector during that time.

How do I know if a medicine is Schedule H1?

Look at the label. A Schedule H1 medicine carries the Rx symbol in red at the top left and a warning in a red-bordered box that says it is a Schedule H1 drug and must not be sold without a prescription.

Which medicines are in Schedule H1?

Mainly third- and fourth-generation antibiotics such as cefixime and ceftriaxone, anti-TB medicines such as isoniazid and rifampicin, and certain habit-forming medicines such as alprazolam. The schedule is amended from time to time, so check the current list with your State Drugs Control department.

Can I keep the H1 register on a computer?

Rule 65 asks for a separate register but does not set the medium. Many states still expect a written, bound register, so ask your State Drugs Control office before relying only on software.

Is a Schedule H1 register needed for a doctor's own clinic dispensary?

A doctor supplying medicines only to their own patients under Schedule K does not hold a retail sale licence, but should still keep proper purchase and supply records. A pharmacy counter that sells to the public must keep the H1 register.

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This guide is general information, not legal advice. Drug schedules and licence conditions change — confirm what your licence requires with your State Drugs Control department. Last updated 28 October 2026.

Sources: Drugs Rules, 1945 — Rule 65 and Schedule H1, inserted by G.S.R. 588(E), 30 August 2013 · National TB Elimination Programme, Schedule H1 guidance and register format · NHSRC, Schedule H1 register and NDPS forms.