Is Tramadol banned in India?

Tramadol is an opioid painkiller that India regulates more tightly than most painkillers, but it is not banned.

On 26 April 2018 the Department of Revenue added tramadol to the schedule of psychotropic substances under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, by S.O. 1761(E). S.O. 3448(E) of 13 July 2018 amended that notification so that licensed makers, importers and exporters were covered after 120 days. The move followed reports of large-scale diversion and misuse, especially in Punjab, and seizures of consignments bound for West Asia and Africa. Being NDPS-scheduled means manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies must keep records and sell only on prescription; it does not make the drug illegal. Ultracet, Tramazac and generic tramadol capsules remain licensed.

What has been banned are certain combinations. On 7 September 2018 three were prohibited: diclofenac + tramadol + chlorzoxazone (S.O. 4384(E)), diclofenac + tramadol + paracetamol (S.O. 4386(E)) and lornoxicam + paracetamol + tramadol (S.O. 4407(E)). On 2 August 2024 the 156-FDC notification prohibited tramadol + paracetamol + caffeine + taurine (S.O. 3440(E)) and tramadol + dicyclomine + domperidone (S.O. 3439(E)). Both are the last two entries in the CDSCO's official list, and their S.O. numbers are among the few we have verified directly.

The two-drug tramadol + paracetamol combination, which is what most patients mean by Ultracet, was not included in either year. If you have a prescription for tramadol, nothing about the 2018 or 2024 orders affects it.