The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which claims to have more than 10 lakh members throughout the nation, has urged the Central government to stop the e-pharmacy business in India on numerous occasions. However, the other traders’ group, the All India Chemists and Druggists Federation (AICDF), has stated that the government of India cannot stop the online medicine business unless appropriate guidelines are framed. The group asserts that the latest show-cause notifications sent by CDSCO to 20 operators of online pharmacies, including Tata 1mg, Amazon, and Flipkart, were merely a charade and had no legitimate purpose. In terms of the operators and their operations, the government is well aware.
According to Joydeep Sarkar, the national secretary of the AICDF, “at the moment, the internet pharmacy is being operated by certain chain-pharmacy groups and some corporate firms without any rule or guidelines, but it is done with the knowledge of the government.” After Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal is the state with the largest group of AICDF members in India. The WB branch is likewise led by Joydeep Sarkar.
More accusations have been made by the trade leader from Kolkata, who has been battling for the rights of pharmaceutical traders for the past 20 years, who claims that the DCGI’s most recent circular cannot be put into effect. In order to please someone rather than put an end to unlawful online business trade, the national drug regulator issued the directive. Seven years ago, if the CDSCO had any sincere intentions, it might have retrained the internet dealers. Now that the organisation has instructed online merchants to cease operations, it is only to appease the AIOCD, which was attempting to organise a nationwide agitation.
The legal system is now being overruled by illegality. Why did the CDSCO wait more than 60 months to issue the directive if their plan was genuine and their attitudes were genuine? Is it conceivable for them to put the regulation into effect in 48 hours what it would take them 60 months to do? They are only functioning as trade body parasites by issuing this circular in order to please the AIOCD. “The CDSCO has carried out what the AIOCD claims,” claimed Joydeep Sarkar.
Joydeep stated that AICDF is neither in favour of e-pharmacy nor against CDSCO. Since the industry began in India, the association has been opposing the online pharmacy industry with all of its might. But, AICDF will support after the government creates a law or set of guidelines on how the business should operate. For the online distribution of medications, a qualified medical practitioner’s supervision and management are required. The business must be strictly regulated by the central regulator, and specific rules must be developed for it.
Regarding the DCGI’s show-cause letter, Joydeep added that whenever an individual or business places an order with an online trader, it is the trader’s responsibility to deliver the products to the individual’s or organization’s address. As long as there is no appropriate regulation, it will occur and continue to do so, and the show cause notice has little effect on the industry’s largest corporations.
