The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), a powerful body representing approximately 12.40 lakh chemists and distributors in India, has written to the cabinet secretary urging him to intervene and ban online pharmacies, citing violations of norms and endangering people’s lives. The letter cited a Delhi High Court ruling from 2018, which barred e-pharmacies from selling drugs online without a license and directed that such sales be halted until further order, and stated that they continue to operate despite court orders. The illegally operating e-pharmacies are still operational after more than 4.5 years, according to the letter.
According to the AIOCD, despite the fact that Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who also holds the Chemicals and Fertilizers ministry portfolio, took the initiative and issued show cause notices to these illegal e-pharmacies by the DCGI, no action has been taken against them since the notices were issued. According to the letter, which was signed by President J S Shinde and honorary general Secretary Rajiv Singhal, they also brought an affidavit filed by the joint drug controller in 2020, which stated that there is currently no provision under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 19440 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for online pharmacies.
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