The online pharmacy retailers in the country have formed an association, the Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA), to promote and protect the public health by ensuring that its members operate in accordance with the existing Drugs & Cosmetics Rules read with Sections 4 & 5 of Information Technology Act, 2008, and Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015 issued by government of India through PCI.

With growing penetration and awareness of the e-commerce companies enabling retailing of medicines and healthcare products, IIPA wants to make sure that its members adhere to the rules and regulations governing pharmacies and the dispensing of prescription medications. IIPA will cater to the Indian public’s demand for safe and easily accessible medicines at affordable prices.

In addition, it aims to be at the forefront to fulfill the Prime Minister’s vision for a Digital India.

IIPA brings together some of the most credible companies from both the pharma and e-commerce industry. The current eleven-member list includes Bookmeds, mChemist, Medidart, Medlife, Medstar, Netmeds, Pharmeasy, Zigy.com (PM Health & Life Care), SaveOnMedicals, Savemymeds and 1mg.com.

“We would be extremely selective in choosing the  partners operating in the interests of the public. Therefore we would have a screening process and would only allow, ‘the best of the best’ to earn the association’s imprimatur of approval,” said Prashant Tandon, president, IIPA.

The main goal of this Association is to ensure that its members operate in harmony with the requirements of the consumers and the regulators, keep fly-by-night operators out of the business and to bring the ‘best of the West’, where online pharmacies are fairly mature, to India. To be a member of this association requires a great deal more than an application and a desire to sell medicine online, he added.

“We are committed to working with the regulators to ensure that India has an exemplary model for e-pharmacy. We welcome and applaud the regulators’ announcement that they are on a path to draft guidelines to regulate the new model. This organisation has submitted recommendations that we believe, if adopted will help transformation of the industry by leveraging the technology in a smart way, create job avenues for pharmacists, technical operatives and all within the scope of bringing medicine easily and affordably within the reach of people all over India. It’s an idea whose time has come,” said Kiran Divakaran, General Secretary, IIPA.

“Digital India championed by the PM Narendra Modi covers e-health as an initiatives within that vision. The e-health aims at providing timely, effective and economical healthcare services to all Indians. With the government spending over Rs. 500 crore to increase computer literacy and several thousand crores to digitally connect entire country, e-pharmacies will go a long way in making this a reality,” said Nishi Gandotra, treasurer, IIPA.