Govt may lift ban on online sale of meds
The government is likely to lift the
temporary ban on online sale of medicines following an expert committee's
recommendations that keeping prescription drugs out of the online platform may
be unfair to consumers in present times.
Clearing the roadmap for resuming online sale
of medicines that had been banned around a year ago, the Drugs Consultative
Committee has submitted its report to the drug regulator -Drugs Controller
General of India (DCGI).“We are in the
process of adding our comments to the report and will forward it to the health
ministry in the next few days,” a senior official in the DCGI's office told
TOI.
However, the committee has suggested a number
of safeguards, including a legal framework and maintenance of prescription
record, while allowing sale of medicines online, the official said while
indicating the general consensus in the government as well as among regulators
to allow sale of medicines through e-commerce platforms.
The suggestions made by the committee include
formation of a central portal to register all e-pharmacies, creating an
ecosystem as well as introduction of detailed rules and regulations under the
existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act to bring any violation to books. It has also
recommended formation of an inter-ministerial committee to deliberate on the
rules and a detailed legal framework, the official said.
In May last year, the government had asked
the drug regulator to draft guidelines and introduce provisions in the law to
monitor and regulate online sale of medicines. However, the regular chemists
and pharmacists opposed the move and went on a daylong strike across the
country in October 2015 to protest against allowing online sale of medicines.
The retailers argued that online sales is not in public interest and may result
in misuse of drugs. This led to the government imposing a temporary suspension
on online sale of prescription drugs and setting up a committee to evaluate the
issue.
“Detailed
deliberations have been made and though there are risks involved, experts are
of the view that it is difficult and unfair to not allow e-pharmacies. However,
proper monitoring and regulation is essential,” the official said.
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