Chemists and doctors say the government must take a call on policies to govern the operation of online pharmacies.
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A recent move to deliver medicines through a food delivery platform in Bengaluru has raised concerns of patient safety. While pharmacists are vociferously objecting to the move, even doctors are cautious.
The announcement has been met with stiff resistance from chemists and druggists’ associations. They are flagging several issues, including violation of laws governing their trade. Chemists and doctors say the government must take a call on policies to govern operation of online pharmacies.
The Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association president S. A. Ramesh says such a move violates the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. As per the Rules, medicine should be dispensed by a qualified pharmacist after verification of the prescription, he points out.
“We are against online sale of drugs. It is not as simple as buying groceries. We are talking about life-saving medicines. The corporates are using this as a commercial exercise, which is wrong,” he argues. “The neighbourhood pharmacist has known the family for several decades and will ensure their wellbeing. The pharmacist’s role is to instruct the patient on the method of taking the drug. We check for the authenticity of the prescription before dispensing a drug. In the case of such online platforms how do we know if a pharmacist is dispensing the prescribed drug in the right dosage,” he asks.
Abul Hassan, president of the Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Medical Association, says a drawback is the lack of quality control of online pharmacies. “At present the drug controller can pick up samples randomly from a pharmacy for quality checks, preventing chances of spurious drugs entering the market,” he explains.
He flags concerns such as the displacement of thousands of people employed in medical shops and the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs without consulting a doctor.
On the flip side, online pharmacies would make drugs cheaper as the medicine will be directly distributed from the company. Also, drugs that are not available in the city can be procured online, helping patients, he points out.
He cites the United Kingdom’s model that requires a patient to upload the prescription to a centralised system. “Once the drugs are issued the prescription becomes invalid. A similar policy guideline would help in our country,” he says.
(sujatha.r@thehindu.co.in)
Published – November 15, 2024 12:41 am IST
