E-pharmacies may be hazardous to public health

E-Pharmacies in whatever form or model now operational in India are unlawful and current set of law do not allow to operate e-pharmacy feels JS Shinde, president of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

“Medicines cannot be compared with any other common commodity. Three important basic factors are essential in medicine dispensing--doctors who are prescribers; pharmacists who are dispensers and patients who are consumers. Hence, it is not like a grocery or cloth which is bought directly online without consulting anyone,” he added.

“Presently it is observed that some of the so called online pharmacies, either directly or indirectly, supply drugs which are prevented by drug laws without strict adherence of prescribed rules. It is against the objectives of the law – safety – security of patients.

On one hand government is enacting new rules and regulations to control the misuse of narcotic and pshychotropic substances based formulations and misuse of anti-biotics and on the other it may be freely available on so called online pharmacies. This indiscriminate and uncontrolled selling of drugs may prove hazardous to public health,” Shinde explained.

AIOCD said that neither the centre or the state have full proof data of manufacturers, marketers or importers, no proof of formulations and drugs being sold in the market and that verification of prescription was a challenge. “Unless above pre-requisites are in place – no IT automation is possible which is predominantly essential element to control online sale of drugs,” Shinde said.