E-commerce sites selling medicines without permission: govt

Several e-commerce portals are selling medicines without permission in Maharashtra, state Food and Drug Administration Minister Jaykumar Rawal told the Legislative Council Thursday.

The government is taking action against such companies, he said.

Rawal was responding to a written question asked by Congress' Satej Patil and others.

"E-commerce companies are offering huge discounts and selling medicines without any legal permission. Some of these companies have also set up their (brick and mortar) outlets in some areas," the minister said.

The FDA has already canceled the license of Family Pharmacy which runs PharmEasy.in and Medlife International Pvt Ltd, while action has been initiated against Planet Pharma Ware House which runs the website Netmeds.com, Rawal said in his written reply.