Protest on sale of medicines online

President Jagannath Shinde said, “Many Internet-based business web portals are offering medicines on business-to-business basis and business-to-customer basis. We want amendment of Sections 10, 18 and 27 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.”

The chemists are upset as they are being hauled up every now and then by the Drug Control Authority for Schedule-H1 drugs. Mr Chandrashekar Rao, a chemist in Hyderabad, said, “For Schedule-H drugs, we are asked to maintain a register of sales, photocopy of prescription, sign the prescription and also ensure that there is no re-issue for old prescriptions. But is this applied to the e-pharmacies?”

A senior drug inspector in TS said, “There is a major fear among chemists that the e-market will take away their business. Hence these representations are being made.

Apart from that, the government has to work out a monitoring mechanism and also modify the laws.” Chemists claim that they have been following all protocols set by the DGCI and in case of drug recalls, their co-operation has been immense.

While e-pharmacy business is not approved by DGCI, there are models available where booking can be done on the Internet. A senior chemist with Medplus and Apollo Chemists said, “The model being followed by the chain of pharmacy stores is ‘click, book and take away the medicine’. There is no delivery at home. The patient or their relatives have to come to the nearest chain of chemist shop and take the medicine.”