Business line: e-pharmacies ask for a fresh prescription
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E-pharmacies ask for a fresh prescription
E-pharmacies have urged the Centre to bring out a notification for regulating online drug sales.
“In the past four years, there have been more than five stakeholders’ consultations for regulating the sector. In August last year, a draft notification on regulations was released.
“But since then there has been no headway on regulating the sector,” Dharmil Sheth, co-founder and CEO of Mumbai-based Pharmeasy, told Businessline.
On November 28, Drug Controller General of India VG Somani wrote to all State drug controllers, urging them to follow the Delhi High Court order on regulating e-pharmacies. In the order issued by the court on December 12 last year, it was stated that online sale of medicines without a licence should be prohibited. Sheth said that in the past year, drug inspectors have approached retail vendors with whom Pharmeasy has a tie-up.
“Every time, we have to explain to the regulators that we are licensed operators and hold the warehouse license under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and also licences for wholesaling and so on,” Sheth said.