The All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD), a representative body of nearly 5.5 lakh members engaged in pharmaceuticals retail and wholesale trade, has demanded to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to take immediate measures to notify to stop the indiscriminate internet drug trade and save the public from its probable harmful effects.

“E-pharmacies in whatever form or model now operational in India are unlawful and current set of law does not allow to operate e-pharmacy,” said JS Shinde, president, AIOCD.

Though pharmacy profession is evolving in India, our members have served public even to rural population and remote areas of this country over decades. Medicines cannot be compared with any other common commodity. Three important basic factors—doctors, pharmacists and consumers-- are essential elements in medicine dispensing. Hence, it is not like a grocery items or cloth, which can be bought directly online without consulting anyone, Shinde said.

It is observed that some of the online pharmacies either directly or indirectly supply drugs which are prevented by drug laws. Such activity is against the objectives of the law-- safety and security of patients. On the one hand, government is enacting new rules and regulations to control the misuse of narcotic and pshychotropic substances based formulations and misuse of antibiotics and on the other they are freely available at online pharmacies. This indiscriminate and uncontrolled selling of drugs may prove hazardous to public health, Shinde said.

The AIOCD president said that approximately 7.5 lakh retail and distributors, scattered and operating independently at local areas of cities and villages feel threat of exit from the markets. Survival of small pharmacies and dependent families, staff, and ancillary services providers may be in danger. Presently employment in this sector, all put together may cross a few crores. Secondly, nowhere in the advanced countries it is freely permitted.

In India today, neither central nor state govt department has foolproof data of manufacturers, marketers or importers and there is no foolproof list of formulations/drugs being sold in Indian market.
Besides, no free flowing data is available in India as it is seen in advanced countries. Verification of prescription is another challenge as pitty- patty clash on prescribing allopathic drugs varies from state to state.

Unless these pre-requisites are put in place, no information technology automation is possible. It would be dangerous to allow e-pharmacy business model in present condition. It would be like playing with public health and safety for mere commercial benefit of a few entities, the AIOCD president cautioned the authorities.