The Centre’s recent draft rules governing the functioning of e-pharmacies in the country is a big shakeup for India’s health industry. The draft rules which allow e-pharmacies to be licenced now ensures that Indians can get their hands on drugs, with certain stipulations, online. Who will ultimately inspect and regulate all these e-pharmacies which are multiplying by the dozen? How will one be sure that they are not selling spurious drugs? And how can one cross-check the authenticity of prescriptions sent online? These are concerns that India’s traditional pharmacies are voicing, which do require further looking into as the country gets set for the e-health boom to become bigger. But while the traditional pharmacies may have a point, there is no denying the fact that e-health is here to stay, not just in India but also globally.
Increased awareness of the consumer along with the rise in health portals coupled with the pharmaceutical industry only too eager to sell suggests that the selling of medicinal drugs was only a matter of time. In India, where health safety regulations are more lax than most other countries, the common man is more likely to be governed by the accessibility of drugs and the huge discounts that e-pharmacies are offering. While traditional pharmacies are governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and a clutch of others, e-commerce is regulated by the Information Technology Act, 2000, which is silent on e-pharmacies. This is where the rub lies. Lack of regulation and the willingness to sell in bulk at huge discounts could result in a major health crisis if all the stakeholders do not act responsibly. For this, a uniform policy needs to be adopted so that online platforms are not hijacked by fringe parties to make a quick buck.