Chemists urge crackdown on instant online delivery of high-risk medicines

Business Standard

4 days ago

India's leading chemists' association has warned that e-pharmacies and quick commerce platforms are delivering high-risk prescription drugs without adequate oversight — a practice, it says, could drive drug abuse and endanger public health, according to a report in The Economic Times.
Why it matters
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) said that this 'unchecked' online supply undermines drug regulations, fuels substance misuse among youth, and threatens small pharmacy businesses.
• In an August 11 letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, AIOCD accused platforms like Zepto and Blinkit of delivering Schedule H, H1, and X drugs within minutes, skipping mandatory prescription verification.
• The group flagged 'ghost prescriptions', where medicines are approved without genuine verification — including late-night approvals for distant patients.
• It warned that easy online access to habit-forming drugs like Pregabalin could cause a spike in misuse.
'Foreign-funded start-ups are treating medicines like ordinary commodities, undermining India's domestic market and causing unemployment,' AIOCD wrote.
The Economic Times report quoted AIOCD President JS Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal emphasising that offline chemists face strict rules, while 'illegal online players' remain unchecked — contributing to a 55 per cent surge in drug abuse. They also alleged misuse of telemedicine guidelines to bypass safeguards.
Drug price monitoring
Last month, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) told drugmakers that it will closely watch price hikes for medicines outside the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
• Non-scheduled drugs can only see a 10 per cent price increase in a 12-month period.
• Any increase above that will require repayment of the overcharged amount with interest and penalties.
• NPPA has also directed that the same drug sold under multiple brands must have an MRP difference of no more than 10 per cent.
What's next in prescription protocols?
If the government acts on AIOCD's request, quick commerce players could face stricter prescription verification rules and limits on the delivery of high-risk medicines.