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Mint
07-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
Online pharmacies, chemists at odds over home delivery of medicines as Centre mulls stopping the practice
New Delhi: The Centre's move to consider stopping doorstep delivery of medicines has stirred up a hornet's nest, with an association of chemists and druggists strongly supporting the move, and e-pharmacy and e-commerce platforms opposing it. Meanwhile, doctors have jumped into the debate, advocating for continuing doorstep delivery, but with adequate checks and balances. At a meeting on 24 April, the drugs technical advisory board (DTAB), India's top expert panel on drugs, had recommended that a sub-committee be set up to examine the possible withdrawal of a March 2020, pandemic-era notification that legally permitted such deliveries, according to the minutes of the meeting that Mint has reviewed, and according to three government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Also Read | Pharmacy colleges being rated after teaching scandal The Centre's move followed a representation by the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AICOD), which opposed home delivery of medicines on the back of misuse of prescriptions. The move has the potential to disrupt the businesses of e-pharmacies such as Tata 1mg, Amazon, Flipkart, NetMeds, MediBuddy, Practo, and Apollo Pharmacy, even quick commerce apps such as Swiggy that deliver medicines home. While spokespersons for these companies declined to comment, the founder of a leading online pharmacy business told Mint on condition of anonymity that the government should first take a survey of consumers on doorstep delivery of medicines. Also Read | US generics, domestic market to drive healthy growth for pharma companies in Q4 'Even at the local chemists' shops, approximately 20% of the medicines are sold walk-in and 80% is home delivery business," this executive said. 'If there is a problem in the online drug delivery practice, then the government should fix the loopholes, make the system more secure and transparent," this person added. 'The withdrawal of the 2020 notification could lead to more government regulation but it is unlikely there will be a ban on e-pharmacies," said an executive at an e-commerce platform that delivers medicines, requesting anonymity, adding that many patients, especially elderly ones, use WhatsApp to send the prescription to their local pharmacy and make the payment via UPI after the delivery. Also Read | India seeks details of pharma exports to Pakistan ahead of likely total ban The executive emphasised that such a ban would set even the offline pharmacy lobby back because of changed customer behaviour and use of digitised systems and databases. The AICOD, on its part, said the notification has resulted in medicines being delivered without validated prescriptions. 'Such unchecked practice of distributing medicines poses a significant threat to patient health," said AICOD general secretary Rajiv Singhal. 'Who is going to check how many times your prescription is being circulated on social media channels like WhatsApp? Even controlled medicines are being delivered to the patients." 'About 95% of the delivery of medicine is done by online pharmacy firms. As per Drugs Rule, 1945, medicine is a commodity which should be delivered in the presence of the pharmacists," Singhal said. Meanwhile, medical practitioners said there is no harm in supplying medicines as long as strong checks and balances are built in. 'I am not sure of the logic behind the proposal for withdrawal of the notification," said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO). 'Convenience for the patient is important. There's no denying that people nowadays have multiple chronic diseases and home delivery is certainly a boon, especially for the elderly and disabled. But, at the same time, we have to make sure the system is not being abused." 'The DTAB panel has recommended to set up a sub-committee on this matter, which will submit its report shortly for final decision," the first official cited above said. 'Withdrawal of the March 2020 notification is being explored due to the reason that drugs which are prohibited are being delivered," said the second official cited above. A third official added that the notification should be withdrawn due to concerns related to unregulated practice of sale of medicines. The development assumes significance for India's domestic pharmaceuticals market, which amounts to $23.5-billion, according to the department of pharmaceuticals. The business of e-pharmacies add up to around $4.5 billion, according to data from Invest India. Swaminathan said it is important to keep a check on the class of drugs and volume being delivered. 'In the US, the doctor emails or phones in their prescription to the pharmacists, and they deliver the medicine or the patient can pick it up. But there is a record of every sale and purchase. However, this is not the case in India." She added that India has an opportunity to create such checks now because the country is very well connected digitally. 'This will also improve our prescription records, which we can then analyze," she said. 'So, digital systems are a good way to do that because traceability is possible. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) can be leveraged for this. We must also do away with the over-the-counter sale of regulated medicines and misuse of antibiotics. We have the regulations and rules already in place, but we need to find good ways of implementing them." Dr Mohsin Wali, senior consultant in the department of medicine at New Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said that home delivery is a useful service for a population the size of India's, but chemists' associations have problems because they are losing business. He also pointed to loopholes. 'The harm is that if there is a sleep medicine prescribed to a patient, s/he gets it from five different sources on the same day; there is no central monitoring registry to know that the patient has purchased 50 sleep drugs in one go and from whom," said Dr Wali. He added that while there should be separate regulations for e-pharmacies so that procurement of harmful medicine is curtailed, stopping door-to-door delivery of medicine altogether may not work. 'If a patient is sick and cannot go to the local pharmacy store, then we can ask the pharmacy store to deliver the medicine," Wali said. Ranjani Raghavan in Mumbai contributed to the story.
Hindustan Times
05-05-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Non-prescription drugs to be sold at neighbourhood grocery stores soon: Report
People would not have to take a trip to a medical store anymore to get non-prescription medicines such as cough syrups, pain relievers and anti-fungal cream as these drugs may soon be available at neighbourhood grocery stores, reported Mint. In a move that aims to make non-prescription drugs more accessible for people, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) decided in April that such drugs can be sold at grocery stores, the Mint report said citing three people familiar with the matter. However, no official notification has been issued yet. There are several drugs that can be bought in India without a signed prescription from a doctor, such as painkillers, cough syrups, anti-allergics, laxatives and anti-fungal products. These are also called over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. While the retail store owners won't need to hire a pharmacist for the sale of these drugs, they will have to obtain a licence, said the report. According to one of three sources, the government has been working on making this happen for quite some time now and a final decision is not far away. 'The government is finalizing the list of OTC drugs and products which can be sold at retail shops. The government has been working on this for a long time, and a final decision is to be taken shortly," the report quoted the person as saying, who also attended the DTAB meeting. The second official familiar with the matter told Mint that the government is working on formulating new regulations that will define what these OTC drugs are. 'Right now, OTC drugs are not defined or covered under the Drugs Rule, 1945. Once these regulations are in place, the public will be aware of what OTC drugs are, and what types of drugs can be purchased without a prescription…The move is aimed at ensuring accessibility and availability of OTC drugs to the people even in the interiors of the villages and remote areas," the official said. While the move may prove beneficial for people for cutting down their trip to a medical store to get a non-prescription drug, it puts medical stores and chemists at a risk of loss of sales. The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) is not in favour of the move and has been opposing it. Expressing concern over how the move will unfold and affect chemists, AIOCD's general secretary Rajiv Singhal said, 'Where will we go? This will put the growth of pharmacists at risk.' He said that letting retail stores sell OTC drugs can lead to misuse and had urged the government to consult and be transparent with chemists before making any decision. "We are going to submit our representation to the government to seek a transparent and balanced approach in finalizing the sale of OTC drugs at retail level and involve stakeholders like the Indian Medical Association, doctors and Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) before finalizing the change," he said. According to the third person familiar with the matter, a list of OTC drugs has already been prepared by the sub-committee and is on the way of getting a final nod after the government re-issues a 'draft notification on OTC drugs regulation' and takes stakeholders' comments.
Mint
05-05-2025
- Health
- Mint
You may get to buy non-prescription drugs at a friendly neighbourhood store
Cough lozenges, pain relievers and anti-fungal creams may soon be available at a neighbourhood grocery store near you, in a move that promises easy access to common medicines but raises concerns of potential misuse. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) decided last month that several medicines that do not need a prescription may be sold at retail outlets, three people aware of the matter said. These include analgesics, anti-allergics, antihistamines, cough syrups, laxatives, antifungal products, and certain asthma drugs. Though retail stores won't need a pharmacist like regular chemists, they will need to secure a licence for selling these medicines, also called over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. 'The government is finalizing the list of OTC drugs and products which can be sold at retail shops. The government has been working on this for a long time, and a final decision is to be taken shortly," said one of the three people cited above, who attended the DTAB meeting. The move spells relief for consumers who can pick up these medicines from just about anywhere, but also casts a pall of gloom over tens of thousands of chemists staring at loss of sales. Queries emailed to the Union health ministry remained unanswered. New regulations will define OTC drugs and formulate a separate schedule for them, the second official said. "Right now, OTC drugs are not defined or covered under the Drugs Rule, 1945. Once these regulations are in place, the public will be aware of what OTC drugs are, and what types of drugs can be purchased without a prescription, the official said. 'The move is aimed at ensuring accessibility and availability of OTC drugs to the people even in the interiors of the villages and remote areas," the official added. Also read | Healthify shifts gears to incorporate weight-loss drugs, cash in on anti-obesity boom The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which represents 1.24 million members and the Indian Pharmaceutical Association representing 13,000 members, have protested against the plan ever since the government floated the idea of selling OTC drugs at retail shops years ago. 'Where will we go? This will put the growth of pharmacists at risk," said Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of AIOCD. "We are going to submit our representation to the government to seek a transparent and balanced approach in finalizing the sale of OTC drugs at retail level and involve stakeholders like the Indian Medical Association, doctors and Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) before finalizing the change," Singhal said, adding OTC drugs at retail stores may also lead to misuse. The government must share the list of retail OTC drugs with chemists so they can provide feedback on the pros and cons of the decision, he added. 'The sub-committee has prepared a list of OTC drug items. The government will now re-issue a draft notification on OTC drugs regulation, take stakeholders' comments before giving the final nod," the third official added. Read this | Demand for weight loss drugs is growing. Can wellness companies keep up? In 2022, the Centre had issued a draft notification permitting the sale of 16 specific OTC drugs without a prescription by retailers with a valid licence, a move that chemists' bodies have opposed since then. In 2024 , the DTAB formed a sub-committee to develop a detailed mechanism for the drugs to be considered as OTC. DTAB agreed with the sub-committee's recommendations. 'Legal provisions to be enabled under Drugs Rules, 1945 along with manner of submitting application, prescribe the licensing requirements for the sale of OTC drugs which does not require the supervision of registered pharmacist, requirements for considering a drug as an OTC, labelling requirements, etc. and incorporation of a separate schedule," the meeting's minutes showed. Experts agreed on the need for OTC drug regulations. "These drugs are generally regarded as safe within their therapeutic dosage and therefore, 'responsible people' can use them," said Dr. Y.K. Gupta, who has headed the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' pharmacology department. However, he noted that many Indians may not be educated enough to choose these medicines wisely, and hence, there is a possibility of abuse or overuse. The decision will make OTC drugs widely available to the public, Gupta said, while pointing to the easy availability of even prescription drugs and antibiotics over the counter. "We have to have a balanced approach in terms of accessibility, availability and avoiding inconvenience," said Gupta, who is also the national scientific coordinator of India's pharmacovigilance programme to ensure drug safety. And this | Govt to add 100 key drugs to widen availability of affordable medicines at Janaushadhi kendras In several countries, a large number of drugs are available off the shelf without a prescription. According to AIOCD's Singhal, India sees annual pharmaceutical sales of ₹ 1.98-2.3 trillion, out of which OTC accounts for ₹ 30,000-40,000 crore. Dr. Suranjeet Chatterjee, senior consultant of internal medicine at Apollo Hospital said the only benefit is easy availability of OTC drugs, with some downside. 'There could be a misuse of OTC drugs, and people can take the drug on their own since it does not require a doctor's prescription. The pharmacist is a qualified person, and he knows what to give to the customer. I am not totally against this decision, but at this stage, I am a bit sceptical about it. Even in the US, paracetamol and anti-allergic tablets are available at the grocery shop, but we cannot compare India with US, because people are less educated here and have no knowledge of the medicines," Dr. Chatterjee said, calling for a structured regulation. The list as submitted by the sub-committee may be considered initially, which will be dynamic and updated from time to time, the DTAB minutes said. The board also recommended a comprehensive revisit of the draft notification, for which international guidelines may also be considered and directed the sub-committee to submit a report on it. And read | IPC raises concern over five lifesaving drugs for causing adverse reaction Some of the OTC drugs that could go on retail shelves include Chlorohexidine Gluconate 0.2% (for the treatment of gingivitis), paracetamol tabs 500 mg (antipyretic), sodium chloride nasal spray, ketoconazole shampoo (anti-dandruff), lactulose solution (laxative), calamine lotion (anti-septic), xylometazoline hydrochloride (nasal decongestant) and bisacodyl tablets 5mg (laxative).
