Chemists against online delivery of medicines, write to Drug Controller

The Punjab Chapter of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has expressed concern over the alleged partnership between Swiggy Instamart and PharmEasy to deliver medicines on the door step of residents. The AIOCD has written to Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) in this regard.

The AIOCD said this move was against standards set under the Indian law and could create many serious health and safety-related threats.

Surinder Duggal, president, Punjab Chemist Association, said, “There are strict rules for selling medicines in India which ensure safety of patients.” He said online delivery of medicines was not safe for patients.

“This partnership is likely to ignore standards like proper prescription checking and patient identification and endanger health of residents,” he said. Duggal said despite efforts of the government to tackle the threat of anti-microbial resistance, the unregulated operation of e-pharmacies could further increase the problem.

The association said the online delivery of medicines would also jeopardize the livelihood of nearly 13 lakh chemists across the country who sold medicines to citizens. The association said ultra-fast delivery model might increase the possibility of patients ending up buying expired or counterfeit medicines which could be harmful for their health.