CHENNAI: The High Court on Friday clarified there is no prohibition for sale of medicines online by licence holders. Justice R Mahadevan made the clarification when a batch of petitions from certain pharmaceutical companies seeking to implead themselves as parties in the case and to vacate the stay granted earlier, came up. Existing sellers with licence need not worry as there is no express prohibition for online sale of medicines in any law currently in force, the judge orally said.
The judge passed an interim order on Wednesday while admitting a plea from Tamil Nadu Chemists & Druggists Association questioning online sale of medicines. The association contended that purchasing medicines from unlicensed online stores can be risky as they may sell fake, expired, contaminated and unapproved drugs, which are dangerous to patients.