Online availability of drugs a convenience or concern?

CHENNAI: A rough morning with a hangover or the sudden urge to be fit with the help of supplements –thanks to instant delivery applications that have rendered drugs a click away, mounting concerns of misuse and ailments.

Even without the help of such apps, self-medication is a dangerous practice, and the blatant availability of drugs, some that even require a prescription, on the delivery apps has rung the alarms of chemists and druggists.

While small-time life savers like bandages, ORS, antiseptic lotions, balms, pain relief sprays, and heat bags are welcomed, the availability of supplements, multivitamins, libido-enhancing drugs, and several other medications, including Ayurvedic medicine, is raising concerns as such drugs can cause side effects if consumed without supervision.

“These apps procure these drugs from offline stores and sell the medicines online. The consumers are not aware that there can be duplicates of such drugs that can be fatal to one's health,” Mannargudi Ramachandran, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Pharma Traders Association, told DT Next.

He explained that there are many drugs sold on the apps on the pretext of being Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines, and they do not warrant prescriptions. He warned that if the situation is not regulated, it can become a major challenge for healthcare.

A similar demand comes from the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. Citing the illegal sale of drugs without a prescription by a few sellers, they demand the suspension of special COVID-related permission for doorstep medicine delivery.

The organisation highlighted that unauthorised online platforms are exploiting the permissions, thereby putting public health at risk. It notes that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over, and the availability of medicines is now normal, thus the notification should be withdrawn immediately.

“With instant delivery mobile applications gaining popularity, there is a need for strict adherence to prescription and safety rules for medicine sale and distribution. The regulation on the online sale of medicines should be intensified to stop the sale of drugs through such platforms,” added Ramachandran.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Department has also requested the Union Government authorities to lay strict regulations on the online sale of medicines to prevent the risk they pose to public health.