States have appealed to the Central government to keep a check on online pharmacies by instituting proper checks and balances.
In response to the draft rules issued by the Centre in September, allowing the registration and licensing of online drug sales, state governments have demanded a single national web or electronic portal as an online pharmacy.
States have appealed to the Central government to keep a check on online pharmacies by instituting proper checks and balances.
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are at the forefront of offered solution that the government portal should route all online transactions and e-prescriptions. It should be made mandatory, the states say, for all existing wholesalers and retailers to register there. Sale of medicine online should only be allowed through this portal and registration should be made mandatory in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. There should also be geographical restrictions for operations.
The states suggest that sale of drugs should only be on prescription, which should have the name, age, sex, address of patients and the registration number of the prescriber. And sale must be restricted to retail to individuals, and not to hospitals, doctors, medical institutions or in wholesale.
State governments have also sought clarity on the role of Central and State Licensing Authorities in monitoring the sales. Furthermore, they want that patient details must be kept confidential; they can only be revealed to Central and State Licensing Authorities.
"Sale of drugs categorised as narcotics and psychotropics, tranquilizers, sedatives, hypnotics and drugs used for termination of pregnancy should be banned," a state official from Maharashtra said, "The draft needs to be changed such as sale of these drugs may prove harmful."
Furthermore, there can be no exchange or return of medicines, once sold, as this could compromise integrity and efficacy of the medicine. The official added the possibility of injection of substandard and spurious drugs into the supply chain cannot be ruled out.
Madhya Pradesh government insists that drugs must only be supplied to websites that have a valid retail sale licence issued under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules. Besides, online pharmacists should be prohibited from advertising drugs on radio, television, print or social media. Penal provisions should be included and penalty be prescribed for non compliance.
Karnataka government has suggested that online pharmacies must provide the drugs as per the prescription, without pushing substitutes.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Online Pharmacy")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}