Pharma traders oppose Medlife-Uber partnership to deliver medicines

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), the medicine traders’ organisation, has raised objection against the entry of Uber into medicine delivery, in collaboration with e-pharmacy firm Medlife. 

Uber and Medlife have announced a partnership on April 17, to deliver medicines at the doorsteps in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Pune. 

“We are already providing home delivery of medicines. AIOCD fears such tie ups may derail the supply chain of medicines in the present situation,” said the AIOCD leaders on Sunday. Tushar Kumar,co-founder of Medlife did not comment on the allegation.

 

Uber, in a press release, had said that the partnership was aimed at ensuring that essential needs are fulfilled right in the safety of customers' homes. "We are leveraging our technology and vast network of delivery partners to support Medlife in delivering medicines safely to your doorsteps so you can continue to observe government guidelines to reduce the spread of Covid-19," it said.

The AIOCD has sent a memorandum to Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan alleging that there is no mechanism with the government for checks and balances of aggregators and only an individual retail license holder can sell medicines. The current Drug & Cosmetics Act, does not say that the delivery of medicine can be outsourced to a third party, AIOCD added.