India's 7 lakh retail drug sellers under the umbrella of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has urged the government to disallow online sales of prescription drugs.

According to the AIOCD, "Online sales of medicines is an easy escape route to tamper with the prescriptions. Any such move to allow sale of drugs online can be detrimental to patient safety. Its opposition to online sales of drugs is a step towards derailing the move of many new-age e-pharmacies trying to partner with retailers for e-commerce."
 
According to informed sources, a meeting has already been held on the matter with Union minister for chemical and fertilisers Ananth Kumar and information and technology minister Meenakshi Natarajan. AIOCD is now planning to send letters opposing the e-commerce trade of drugs to the Prime Minister, Union health ministry, Union ministry of chemicals and fertilisers, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), the State drug controllers, and Chief Ministers of various states.

Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) office is also planning to study the existing online drug trade regulations internationally to come out with a set of rules on online pharmacy. The issue is high on the agenda and likely to be taken up in the forthcoming Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) meet this year.

The free availability of prescription drugs from online retail sites has added to the growing concern around the aspect of the lack of adequate regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector.

Explained Dr G N Singh, DCGI, "There should be no compromise on safety of patients when we take into account that there is an online distribution system in place which today is not approved legally and hence is unacceptable. There are currently provisions and safeguards under the Indian Penal Code and D&C Act to deal with prevalent malpractices but we are planning to explore other international regulatory bodies on how are they are tackling the challenges in online pharmacy."

This will help, according to the drug regulator in curbing the currently prevalent illegal practice of irrational use of drugs through self-medication, more so, as it has become a global phenomena.

The drug distribution is currently being regulated at the state level by the health departments for detecting such cases and taking action. FDA officials, however, pinpoint that there is a need for a proper regulatory mechanism for online pharmacy.

DCC is likely to discuss the options of allowing e-commerce of drugs, among many other issues. The DCC consists of state and central drug controllers and subject experts.

As per the Section 18 (c) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to be read with Rule 65, only a licensed retailer is entitled for the sale of drugs and that too on the basis of prescription of a doctor only.

Rule 65 prescribes the procedure to be adopted by the medical stores while selling the prescription drugs and under which the prescription from the registered medical practitioner is necessary for sale of Schedule H drugs under the Act.
 
Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently filed an FIR against the an e-commerce site's directors at the Panvel police station in Raigad district for online sale of prescription drugs following a raid in Mumbai. The state regulator has also apprised the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on the matter.