 "Online pharmacy retailers unite")
The online pharmaceutical trade, facing attack from traditional druggists, have linked their activity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of a Digital India.
They've formed an Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA) to give a united representation to the committee formed by the Union health ministry on the subject, and have made a case for permitting online sales to ‘enable convenient access to quality health care’.
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which described itself as the apex body of the country's 750,000 chemists and druggists, had told the committee that online pharmacy is entirely illegal in the context of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Information Technology Act. AIOCD is planning a nationwide day's strike on Wednesday to protest against online pharmacy sales.
The committee is chaired by Harshadeep Kamble, commissioner of the Maharashtra government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last month, it had invited comments from citizens, companies and the trade on the issue.
Snapdeal, the prominent e-commerce company, had launched online sale of prescription drugs earlier this year. And, in May, the Maharashtra FDA had filed a police complaint against Snapdeal's chief executive and directors for violation of the the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
ALSO READ: Govt may bar pharma firms from giving gifts to doctorsThe online pharmacy association, yet to be registered, has given its recommendations on online pharmacies and sought regulatory clarity to grow the business. The association claims to have close to a dozen members, such as mChemist, Netmeds and Pharmeasy.
“Only the owner of the website selling or facilitating the online sale of medicines and health care devices, should get a licence for the online business and an authenticated seal which should be displayed to the public prominently on thewebsite/portal/app,” IIPA wrote to Kamble.
It also said the licensing authorities should establish standard operating practices for an online pharmacy portal, with a licence being a pre-requisite.
It says there should be no restriction on interstate transactions and no responsibility or liability should be placed on courier companies, apart from the responsibility to deliver medicines. Offices of these websites must be declared to the licensing authority.
IIPA also wants to be involved as a “stakeholder for forming rules and amendments in future relating to online pharmacies”.
Netmeds, one of the IIPA members, has also written separately to Kamble that online pharmacies must make available a wide and affordable selection of generic alternatives, as well as branded medications, and make all information about the drugs, their pricing and manufacturers readily available.
Puneet Kapoor, director of Big Chemist, another online entity, told Business Standard that online sale would have many pluses, including the weeding out of counterfeit medicine. “Being electronic in nature, all purchases and sales will be through proper taxation, with invoices, thus helping in better tax collection,” he said.
They've formed an Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA) to give a united representation to the committee formed by the Union health ministry on the subject, and have made a case for permitting online sales to ‘enable convenient access to quality health care’.
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which described itself as the apex body of the country's 750,000 chemists and druggists, had told the committee that online pharmacy is entirely illegal in the context of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Information Technology Act. AIOCD is planning a nationwide day's strike on Wednesday to protest against online pharmacy sales.
The committee is chaired by Harshadeep Kamble, commissioner of the Maharashtra government's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Last month, it had invited comments from citizens, companies and the trade on the issue.
Snapdeal, the prominent e-commerce company, had launched online sale of prescription drugs earlier this year. And, in May, the Maharashtra FDA had filed a police complaint against Snapdeal's chief executive and directors for violation of the the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
ALSO READ: Govt may bar pharma firms from giving gifts to doctorsThe online pharmacy association, yet to be registered, has given its recommendations on online pharmacies and sought regulatory clarity to grow the business. The association claims to have close to a dozen members, such as mChemist, Netmeds and Pharmeasy.
“Only the owner of the website selling or facilitating the online sale of medicines and health care devices, should get a licence for the online business and an authenticated seal which should be displayed to the public prominently on thewebsite/portal/app,” IIPA wrote to Kamble.
It also said the licensing authorities should establish standard operating practices for an online pharmacy portal, with a licence being a pre-requisite.
It says there should be no restriction on interstate transactions and no responsibility or liability should be placed on courier companies, apart from the responsibility to deliver medicines. Offices of these websites must be declared to the licensing authority.
IIPA also wants to be involved as a “stakeholder for forming rules and amendments in future relating to online pharmacies”.
Netmeds, one of the IIPA members, has also written separately to Kamble that online pharmacies must make available a wide and affordable selection of generic alternatives, as well as branded medications, and make all information about the drugs, their pricing and manufacturers readily available.
Puneet Kapoor, director of Big Chemist, another online entity, told Business Standard that online sale would have many pluses, including the weeding out of counterfeit medicine. “Being electronic in nature, all purchases and sales will be through proper taxation, with invoices, thus helping in better tax collection,” he said.