PANJIM: Over eight lakh chemists in India providing livelihood for more than 80 lakh workers and their family members are now threatened by the sudden influx of online sale of medicines in India. In Goa alone there are about 750 retail chemists and druggist shops and 200 whole-sellers with 40,000 people directly engaged in this business. A massive all India strike was held against the online sale of drugs on October 14 to protest the sale of medicines online.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on sale of online drugs, the division bench of Bombay High Court on October 29 has directed the State of Maharashtra to ensure prevention of the sale of unauthorised drugs through e-portals online. Many drugs which are under mandatory provision of having a prescription from a registered physician are being sold online. The Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1940, Rule 61 makes it compulsory for retailers and wholesalers to have a license to sell drugs.
“Presently, online pharmacy business is going on illegally and government authorities are not taking any action against them for the full proof complaints made by us. Internet online pharmacies are supplying all the goods like I-pill (anti-pregnancy), MTP kits, anti-depressants, habit forming drugs (sleeping pills), cough syrups containing codeine, sexual stimulants, etc without confirming the authenticity of prescription and patient,” said the president of the Chemist and Druggist Association of Goa, Prasad Tamba.
Mr Tamba added that the e-pharmacy is totally violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. “Questions is where and how are they getting drugs to sell when they are not having a valid license? Do they have trained pharmacists when they supply medicines? This is mandatory for all retail stores. There are no guidelines and clarity in e-pharmacy business,” said Mr Tamba.
Online portals on medicine are freely advertising on all leading electronic channels in India and the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggist has taken it up with the Union government in July. The government in turn set up a Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) which further appointed a sub-committee headed by the Commissioner of Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration, Harshdeep Kamble. This sub-committee was merely to study as to how to regularise the online e-pharmacy business.
The retailers are concerned over dwindling business but at the same time they are confident that the government will have to come out with guidelines in this kind of business soon as the risk of habit forming drugs and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) will soon become the order of the day. “Fear is that some drug addicts can order same drug, specially habit forming drugs from 10 different portals to stock more which can be very dangerous as it will be almost next to impossible to verify the genuineness of the requirement as it is in a retail store where doctor, patient and pharmacists cord is established,” said Mr Tamba.
However, post the All India general strike, some action has been seen on ground too as the National Purchase Manager of Fortishealthworld.com, Manish Singh said “No online order for medicine can be placed from anywhere on our portal.”
