NEW DELHI: It is a major setback for ePharmacies as government officials have expressed reluctance to formalise the online sale of drugs and medicines during a meeting with representatives from the industry. The discussion, held at the office of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), aimed to address concerns regarding the regulation of ePharmacies.
Sources familiar with the matter said the government remained unconvinced by the suggestions put forth by ePharmacy representatives and intended to maintain the status quo. A senior official stated, “The government is not even in favour of ePharmacies, but they want to operate in the same way as they are functioning now. The government has told them it will not formalise this sector in their current form.”
This meeting followed a previous interaction between ePharmacy stakeholders and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya earlier this month. The government’s objective in regulating online drug sales revolves around mitigating risks such as the circulation of counterfeit medicines, addictive narcotics, and potential national security concerns.
During the meeting with major ePharmacy players, Mandaviya expressed apprehensions about the existing model of selling drugs online, emphasising the need for improved approaches. Prominent companies such as Tata1mg, Netmeds, Amazon, Flipkart, Practo, Apollo, and PharmEasy were among the attendees.
In a bid to curb illegal drug sales online, the health ministry is reportedly planning to launch a national portal for ePrescription. Sources indicate that doctors will be required to register on the platform to provide online prescriptions, enabling patients to purchase their medications.
The government aims to discourage misuse of prescriptions by implementing an ePrescription network for the online sale of drugs and medicines.“The government is looking at a Zomato-Swiggy model for medicine delivery. This would involve delivery personnel collecting medicines from physical stores and delivering them to customers, enhancing the efficiency and security of the process,” the official cited above explained.
Earlier this year, the ministry issued show cause notices to 31 firms for selling medicines online without necessary permissions. The government’s efforts to regulate the online pharmaceutical sector stem from a commitment to ensure the safety and authenticity of medications available to consumers, as per the official. As discussions continue between ePharmacy stakeholders and government officials, the future of the online drug sales industry remains uncertain.