![\"Pregabalin,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Pregabalin--marketed-under-brand-names-such-as-Lyr_1754642308098.jpg\" "\\"Pregabalin,")
Pregabalin, marketed under brand names such as Lyrica, Alzain, and Axalid, is meant to be dispensed only with a doctor\u2019s prescription. (Representative photo) <\/p>\nNew Delhi: <\/b>In the back alleys of Delhi or inside a government-run Jan Aushadhi Kendras, a quiet drug crisis is unfolding. The substance in question isn\u2019t heroin or cocaine \u2014 it\u2019s Pregabalin, a prescription medication meant to treat anxiety, epilepsy, and nerve pain.<\/p>\n
Pregabalin, marketed under brand names such as Lyrica, Alzain, and Axalid, is meant to be dispensed only with a doctor\u2019s prescription. (Representative photo) <\/p>\n
But on Delhi\u2019s streets, it has earned a far more sinister reputation: the \u201ctrance drug.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to take it just once a week for the high,\u201d said a 28-year-old who began using Pregabalin recreationally after friends introduced him to its effects. \u201cSoon I couldn\u2019t stop. Now I take it almost every day. And I\u2019ve never once been asked for a prescription.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pregabalin, marketed under brand names such as Lyrica, Alzain, and Axalid, is meant to be dispensed only with a doctor\u2019s prescription. But it is being sold freely \u2014 and illegally \u2014 across the Capital. An HT investigation revealed that the drug is readily available without a prescription at multiple Jan Aushadhi Kendras and private pharmacies, despite being a scheduled drug that should only be dispensed with a doctor\u2019s note.<\/p>\n
At five Jan Aushadhi outlets \u2014 in Munirka, CR Park, Alaknanda, Govindpuri, and Zakir Bagh \u2014 HT was able to buy multiple dosages of the drug (75mg, 150mg, and 300mg) without so much as a question. Ten-tablet strips cost as little as \u20b930 at these subsidised pharmacies, part of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), which is meant to offer affordable generic medicines to the public.<\/p>\n
Also Read: <\/b>Punjab bans sale of pregabalin beyond 75mg<\/a><\/p>\n In effect, the government\u2019s own welfare infrastructure is now helping to fuel an emerging addiction crisis.<\/p>\n Officials from Delhi\u2019s drug control department refused to comment officially. However, one senior official who spoke on the condition of anonymity acknowledged the issue but said the department had not received any formal complaints. \u201cWe are aware that Pregabalin misuse is a growing concern. Punjab, in particular, has faced serious abuse of this drug among young people,\u201d the official said. \u201cBut since Pregabalin is not yet listed under Schedule H1, it becomes much harder to regulate its sale.\u201d<\/p>\n The official confirmed that last year, the Punjab government formally wrote to the Centre requesting that Pregabalin be included in the H1 list of scheduled drugs — a classification that would require pharmacists to maintain sale records and dispense it only with a doctor\u2019s prescription. The Centre is yet to act on that.<\/p>\n Seeking a high<\/b><\/p>\n At first glance, Pregabalin might not seem like an obvious choice for abuse. It was developed to treat nerve-related conditions and anxiety. But users say it also offers a relaxed, floaty \u201cbuzz\u201d that has drawn comparisons to alcohol and Valium — without the hangover.<\/p>\n \u201cI was told it\u2019s like alcohol but cheaper, and you don\u2019t get a hangover,\u201d said a 23-year-old software engineer who began using Pregabalin in 2022. \u201cI started with three pills. Eventually, I was taking more than a dozen a day.\u201d<\/p>\n Now clean and out of rehab, he blames the easy access for fuelling his addiction. \u201cEven when I realised I was addicted, the pills were still easy to buy. No one stopped me. If pharmacies had asked for a prescription, maybe I wouldn\u2019t have spiralled so far.\u201d<\/p>\n Many users said the addiction creeps up quietly.<\/p>\n Another user, 25, said the drug\u2019s appeal lies in how subtle and slow the addiction can be. \u201cIt gave me a sense of confidence, a feeling that I could do anything. That\u2019s what made it so dangerous. You don\u2019t notice it taking over your life until it already has.\u201d<\/p>\n No hurdles at pharmacies<\/b><\/p>\n Experts say the lack of regulatory oversight is at the heart of the problem. While Pregabalin is a scheduled drug under Schedule H \u2014 which technically requires a prescription \u2014 it is not on the stricter H1 list, which mandates record-keeping and tighter controls.<\/p>\n In Punjab, where the drug is locally nicknamed \u201cghoda (horse)\u201d due to its veterinary use and tranquilising effects, has already been placed under tighter restrictions. Sale of 150mg and 300mg doses is no longer permitted without special authorisation in several districts.<\/p>\n But in Delhi, no such restrictions exist. HT was able to purchase multiple strips from both private and government pharmacies without any form of prescription or ID verification.<\/p>\n