The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has placed Pregabalin under the stricter Schedule H1 category of the Drugs Rules, 1945. The step aims to check drug abuse, the misuse of medicines and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Pregabalin is prescribed for neurological disorders, but its misuse can cause addiction and sedation, and taken together with opioids or alcohol it can lead to severe respiratory depression. Schedule H1 drugs face tighter controls on sale and record-keeping.