Online sale of medicines peeves JFAOP
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 19 2022: The Joint Forum Against Online Pharmacy (JFAOP) has warned that the new practice of selling medicines online may turned out to be a serious impediment to the Government's War on Drugs.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here this afternoon, JFAOP convenor and All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), North East Zone joint secretary Kangjam Sagar Meitei said that the JFAOP was formed by the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association (MCDA), Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives Union, Medical and Sales Representatives Association of Manipur and Unemployed Pharmacists Association of Manipur.

He said that private players like Netmeds, PharmEasy, Apollo Pharmacy, Tata 1 mg, Flipkart, Easy Sol etc have been selling medicines online.

In case this new practice of selling medicines online takes roots on the soil of Manipur, it would prove to be a serious impediment to the State Government's War on Drugs because 11 drug formulations which can be abused as intoxicating substances are being marketed by pharmaceutical companies using 250 different brand names, Sagar said.

Manufacturing and marketing of these drugs are regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 .

These restrictive drugs listed under Schedule H ad Schedule X cannot be sold without prescriptions of registered medical practitioners, he said.

However, there is a strong possibility of selling and buying these drugs without any restriction through online mode.

Even if the Government succeeds in containing abuse of drugs like heroin, brown sugar and opium abuse of restrictive drugs and degree of self-medication will only spike if the online of drugs is not checked and it would ultimately render the Government's War on Drugs meaningless, he asserted.

The Pharmacy Practice Regulation 2015 imposes certain restrictions on publishing advertisements regarding discounts/ commissions given on pharmaceutical products.

However, private players who are running online pharmacies have been openly making announcements of 30 per cent discount as a part of their strategy to attract customers, he said.

Maximum retail prices of drugs are determined by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority as per the Drug Price Control Order by giving 8 per cent profit margin to wholesalers and another 18 per cent profit margin to retailers, Sagar said.

Pointing out that a pharmacist who works as a wholesaler cum retailer gets a profit margin of just 26 per cent, he questioned as to how online pharmacies can give a discount of 30 per cent.

He then asked if the answer lies in the recent seizure of spurious and fake drugs worth several crores in Uttarakhand.

Sagar maintained that the seized spurious and fake drugs were stocked for sale through online mode.

There have been reports of seizure of similar spurious and fake drugs in Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam, the JFAOP convenor said.

He said that the Indian Medical Association, AIOCD, Confederation of Indian Trade and Federation of Medical Representatives Association of India have already raised their voices against opening of online pharmacies.

Recently, the Gujarat High Court served notice on both the Central Government and the Government of Gujarat to stop/check the unlawful activities of online pharmacies in the interest of the people's health, he continued.

Appealing to all the people to be wary of online pharmacies, he said that they would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the wholesaler cum retailer gets a profit margin of just 26 per cent, he questioned as to how online pharmacies can give a discount of 30 per cent.

He then asked if the answer lies in the recent seizure of spurious and fake drugs worth several crores in Uttarakhand.

Sagar maintained that the seized spurious and fake drugs were stocked for sale through online mode.

There have been reports of seizure of similar spurious and fake drugs in Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam, the JFAOP convenor said.

He said that the Indian Medical Association, AIOCD, Confederation of Indian Trade and Federation of Medical Representatives Association of India have already raised their voices against opening of online pharmacies.

Recently, the Gujarat High Court served notice on both the Central Government and the Government of Gujarat to stop/check the unlawful activities of online pharmacies in the interest of the people's health, he continued.

Appealing to all the people to be wary of online pharmacies, he said that they would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Health Minister on the matter.

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