Govt may streamline online pharmacy trade, says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

New Delhi, June 3 (KNN) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the government will soon take steps to streamline online pharmacy trade and no one will be allowed to violate the law and the rules.

During a meeting with the delegation of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), he said that the government is fully aware of distortions made by online pharmacies in distribution and sale of medicines through their online portals and the matter is under active consideration.

The meeting was held on Thursday and the CAIT delegation was led by its Secretary General (SG) Praveen Khandelwal.

Khandelwal said that the minister gave a patient hearing to the delegation and expressed his concern on the business modalities of the online pharmacy companies.

He said that present eco-system of small chemists all over the country which is rendering yeomen services will not be allowed to be disturbed.

Earlier, Khandelwal while handing over a memorandum to the health minister said that the online pharmacies in India are grossly flouting the Drug & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and its associated rules causing substantial damage to business of more than one crore small chemist shops in the country.

CAIT SG further said that online pharmacies do not own any responsibility of drugs sold by them and in case of spurious or fake drugs, they wrongfully take shelter of section 79 of the Information Technology Act which provides immunity to marketplace by classified them as “intermediary”.

He also called upon the minister to bring necessary changes in draft proposals spelled out in notification G.S.R. 817 (E) dated 28th August, 2018 to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 which would enable the operation of e-pharmacies in India. The proposals are yet to be notified.  (KNN Bureau)