The neighbourhood chemists recently downed shutters for a day, responding to a call from an apex association representing local pharmacists.
They were protesting against the presence of online pharmacies and the “predatory” practices that threatened the livelihoods of retail chemists, the association said.
While some see the offline-online chemist standoff as a turf war, the issue has been festering for at least 10 years now — reinforcing the need for a long overdue regulatory framework.
It’s one thing to sell garments or electronics online, but quite another selling life-saving medicines from such platforms, caution multiple voices from the retail trade.
Doctors red-flag a system where some fellow doctors give online prescriptions, calling attention to a multi-layered healthcare issue in dire need of a regulatory resolution.
Offline chemist stores are governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, among other laws, and mandated to abide by rules on matters ranging from storing and dispensing of medicines to margins offered to distributors.
No deep discounts are possible, say chemists, contrasting this with the offers on online channels.
In its white paper on online pharmacies, the Indian Medical Association recognises that they may offer convenience, but at a price.
There are “no well-defined dedicated laws for online pharmacies”, the IMA observes, outlining concerns on storage, distribution, potential misuse of habit-forming medicines and data privacy (use of scanned prescriptions).
IMA former President RV Asokan says the sanctity of the prescription is lost.
There are laws covering online consultation — what can and cannot be done, he says, but not so with online pharmacies.
Doctors aligned to these organisations issue online prescriptions, but what if the patient’s condition has worsened or they need a different medicine, he asks.
A 2018 notification governing online pharmacies has lapsed, raising questions on the very legitimacy of e-pharmacies, industry insiders point out, as the issue passes through multiple courts.
Some online pharmacy representatives explain that they are a “marketplace” — supplying medicines from legitimate chemists, on doctor prescriptions....
