The All India Drugs Control Officer's Confederation (AIDCOC) has suggested that the online pharmacy should be allowed as it is only a technology advancement and its benefit should be available to the consumers in India with a sufficient safeguards to protect the interest of the consumers.

The organisation has suggested to the sub-committee of DCC, chaired by Harshdeep Kamble, Maharashtra FDA commissioner, that online pharmacy should be allowed with sufficient safeguard as the growth of internet has opened up many opportunities and if used properly and under stringent regulatory control, online pharmacy has a scope of adding value to the existing retail place. This will offer many advantages to the consumers especially the convenience or ease with which drugs can be procured by the consumers. This will be of great help to senior citizens or consumers who cannot go out on their own to procure medicines required by them.

S W Deshpande, director general of AIDCOC says, “The technology upgradation should be welcome. I don't think it will affect the pharmacists as the online pharmacy may not function without the pharmacists. It is the technology advancement and the customers should be benefited.”

In its letter to the sub-committee on e-pharmacy, the organisation has suggested few amendments in Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which include a separate part under D&C Rules, 1945 may be incorporated to recognize online pharmacy including market place; market places should be required to register with the state licensing authority in which such market place (web platform) is located; market place should be subject to separate set of conditions of registration certificate which should include requirement of appointing registered pharmacist, ensuring that orders for Schedule H, Schedule H1 and X drugs are forwarded to the licensed pharmacy only if it is supported by valid prescription.

Market place may be permitted to operate only in one state and should have a tie up with the licensed pharmacies situated only in that state. This shall ensure that valid prescriptions by the RMP in a particular state are only honoured and the regulatory officers are in a better position to monitor the activities of the market place and the licensed pharmacies with whom such market place has a tie up.

While amending conditions of licenses, the provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000 including Section 4, Section 5 and Section 79 of the Act should be taken into consideration. The term ‘E Prescription’ should be defined as is defined under pharmacy practices regulations. Good storage practices should become part of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, opined AIDCOC.