Pharmacists rue lack of regulatory policy to monitor online sale of medicines

CHENNAI: The sale of medicines via online portals continues unabated owing to a delay in forming a regulatory policy, say druggists and chemists in the state.

As there is no provision yet for online sales in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, unlicensed platforms continue selling medicines in an unethical manner. This is even after the Madras High Court recently ordered a status quo on the condition that online sales of drugs must be made only through or by licensed druggists and chemists, they stated.

"It is unethical for online pharmacies to sell drugs without proper licensing, as required for retail sale. Though the pharmacists can procure drugs through licensed wholesale platforms, they can sell the drugs only if they have a license," said S Ramachandran, former secretary of the Tamil Nadu Druggists and Chemists Association.

Druggists also expressed concern over the delay in forming the regulatory policy and said that as a result, there is no monitoring of ongoing online sales of medicines. "The case for forming a policy has been going on for over 3–4 years. But as the e-sale of medicines continues to happen unchecked and people can obtain them from any part of the country, the unlicensed retail medicine portals need to be supervised by drug control authorities," a member of the Tamil Nadu Druggists and Chemists Association demanded.

The counsel for the Union government had stated in the High Court that the process of finalising the draft rules for the regulatory policy was in progress and that the new comprehensive policy would cover all issues raised by the traders and the public.

Although the deadline for the draft policy is ending in July, the government has stated that it needs more time to finalise it as the issues being addressed are complex.