PANAJI
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has written to All State Drug Controllers/Food and Drug Administrators to issue directives to take action against e-pharmacy (selling medicines on internet). In a letter sent on February 15, 2023, JS Shinde, president of AIOCD has appealed to the general secretary Rajiv Singhal to look into the issue that has been haunting the chemists and druggists in the country for the past few years.
The letter mentions that AIOCD, the largest association of medicines dealers has been constantly appealing Central government to discourage sale of drugs on internet by self styled e-pharmacy entities, as Laws of the land, D&C Act 1940 (rules 1945), Pharmacy Act 1948, Medical Professional Ethics do not permit such sale and provision in these special Acts have treated drug as a special commodity. It mandates Drug, manufacture, storage, dispensing, sale, exhibition, code of ethics, professional services.
Various cases have been filed and orders passed by various High Courts, directing authorities to take actions against those entities involved in online drug sale. Accordingly DCG (I) directed State Drug Licensing Authorities to take actions against illegal e-pharmacies.
Unfortunately, no visible actions were taken by SLA’s barring a few States, alleges AIOCD in the letter. For whatever reasons, in action by authorities, a sense of unrest had been developed in minds of offline (license holders) retailers mainly for two reasons. Firstly, this has created a question of level playing between law abiding lakhs of retailers and those flouting the law, corporate backed chain of retail/wholesale with predatory pricing policy.
Secondly, in spite of all High Court orders, DCG(I) circulates, Affidavit filed by Central government, that no online sale of drugs rules had been framed or enacted, these so called corporate illegal e-pharmacies were selling drugs, under nose of State regulators.
If the illegal pharmacies still continue to operate, in contravention of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules, it will bring disrepute to the authorities, claims the letter.
