Chennai: Wholesale dealers and retailers are up in arms against the Centre for “turning a blind eye” to the functioning of certain online pharmacies even before a legislation to amend the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act (D&C Act), was enacted in the Parliament. They claim most of the websites indulging in online trade of medicines have no legal sanctity.
Taking strong exception to the Centre’s “silence over the illegal online sale of medicines by certain websites” sources in the Tamil Nadu chemists and pharmacists association (TNCDA) said those websites violated the existing law on the sale of drugs.
As per the existing provisions under the D&C Act and Rules, online pharmacy cannot be allowed and the regulatory body should take action against it. Many drugs under Schedule H and Schedule X like Diazepam, Lorazepam and insulin are now being sold online.
It may be recalled that the All India organisation of chemists and druggists (AIOCD) had observed a nationwide ‘pharma bandh’ on October 14, 2015 demanding that the Centre initiate action against the “illegal” online sale of medicines without prescriptions.
According to official sources the drug control authority us unable to initiate action against the online traders in the absence of any complaints from any quarters.
“But, if the drug inspectors find such sale of medicines without prescriptions or without the supervision of pharmacists, the inspectors will take appropriate action,” the official explained.
Meanwhile, the Drugs Controller General of India has directed all state drug controllers to step up the vigil on e-pharmacy trade and take action against those indulging in it.
In a circular issued to all states on December 30, 2015, the office of the Drugs Controller General asked the state drugs controllers to file action taken reports from time to time. Under these rules, it is mandatory for retailers and wholesalers to take a licence to sell drugs.
