HYDERABAD:Prominent online pharmacy stores were in for surprise, as Telanagana Drug Control Administration (DCA) instructed prominent online pharmacies in the state to immediately stop the sale of all drugs online.
Director of DCA Akun Sabharwal said that drugs and cosmetics clearly mentions that any supply of drugs is to be made under supervision of a registered pharmacist against the written prescription of a registered medical practitioner.
“Thus, online pharmacy practice stands on shaky legal ground, and is prone to legal scrutiny,” he said through a release, on Saturday. DCA staff, through online mode or phone ordered Schedule H & H1 drugs, such as Restyl, Novomax, cough syrups, Zolfresh, and others, without prescription of a registered medical practitioner. Medplus Mart, Apollo Pharmacy, and Bookmeds Medicals, sold or delivered the above drugs without any prescription, and failed to even ask for the same.
This is transgressing the provisions of the Drugs, and cosmetics rules, 1945, Sabharwal said, adding , “The DCA issued notices to the three pharmacies to stop forthwith the sale of all drugs online which amounts to the contravention of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules, 1945. Legal action is being initiated against the above.”
The other pharmacies on whom checks were conducted include Hetero Pharmacy, Snapdeal Online store, BuyDrug, Medstar, Morechemist, Healthkart.com.
Notice to MedPlus Mart: Akun Sabharwal, in a notice to Medplus Health Services Pvt Ltd regarding its functioning, stated that the organization’s outlets sold some scheduled drugs to customers who ordered through online.
And the outlets failed to check for any prescription, which shows how the organization in the name of online sales of drugs through the outlets, is transgressing provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and punishable under the Act.
