No decision to allow sale of medicine using internet: Govt

New Delhi

Government has said it has not taken any decision to allow sale of medicines using the internet, a day after an umbrella body of druggists and chemists announced a nationwide strike on October 14 against “illegal” online sale of drugs.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda today spoke to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) president J S Shinde and clarified that no such decision has been taken by the government.

“The Union Minister clarified that no such decision has been taken by the government. He informed them that views of all stakeholders will be taken into account as and when the matter is taken up for consideration by the government,” an official statement said.

AIOCD, which has eight lakh member chemists across the country, yesterday announced that it will observe a bandh this Friday to oppose the central government’s move to regularise online sale of medicines.

“The government’s move towards regularising the sale of medicines through internet would increase the risk of adverse drug reaction, which will give an opening for the entry of low-quality…mis-branded and spurious products. Entering of low-quality products will have a major setback economically, which is estimated to hit eight lakh chemists and about 80 lakh workers and their families,” Shinde had said yesterday.

The Union Health Ministry statement said that to clarify the matter, a meeting was held between senior officials of the Ministry and AIOCD on October 12 where the office bearers of the organisation were informed that a number of representations have been received both for and against this proposal.

It was informed during that meeting that the matter had earlier been discussed in the meeting of the Drug Consultative Committee (DCC) held on July 24 this year comprising the Drug Controller General of India and all State Drug Regulators.

“A sub-committee has been constituted by the DCC to look into the matter which has so far undertaken only preliminary discussions with the stakeholders to ascertain their views.

“It was also clarified during the meeting that examination of representations in the matter should not be misconstrued as the intention of the government to permit any such sale,” the statement said.

Insisting that government crackdown on any online sale of medicines as it raises the risk of misuse of drugs, AIOCD Secretary Suresh Gupta had yesterday said that now online pharmacy business is going on illegally and government authorities are not taking any action against it.

“Hence, we have no other alternative to go on strike to protect the health of general public,” he had said.

The one-day strike called by AIOCD will also include over 12,000 medicine retailers observing the bandh in Delhi, the Association said.

Coming out in support of the nationwide strike called by AIOCD to protest online sale of drugs, more than 12,000 chemists and wholesalers in the city (Delhi) are likely to keep their shops closed on October 14, Retailers and Distributors Chemists Association president Sandeep Nangia had said.

PTI