All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has written a letter to the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos notifying him that the sale of medicine online is illegal in India. The letter was also sent to the senior vice president of the company, Amazon, and country manager, Amit Agarwal. The organization AIOCD is represented by more than 850,000 members across India.
The matter:
Amazon recently entered the e-pharmaceutical market called “Amazon Pharmacy” in India. They plan to sell over-the-counter drugs and also prescription drugs and deliver them right to the doorstep of the consumers. Along with this Indian Ayurvedic and herbal medicine will also be available on their list. This division of the Amazon brand is headquartered in Bangalore. There are no other offices for now, but soon they might be opened. The company said that they will start delivering the medicine to every nook and cranny of the country soon enough.
The pharmaceutical market of the country is set to boom in the next few years. With lucrative discounts and offers online medicine delivery companies they manage to bring in profit easily. Amazon, now also joins the party. The advantage they have is that they can cut out the middlemen and contact the drug manufacturers directly and this saves a lot of money.
The problem:
AIOCD said that the online drug delivery system is illegal and is not recognized by the Drug and Cosmetics Act of the Indian constitution. This sector is filled with several controversies. There have been several court cases, most of the proceedings are still yet to give a verdict, also there have been many legal issues in the last few years. The organization says that for prescription drugs to be sold, an original prescription is required. Providing the prescription to the valid and licensed premises gives an individual the right to attain such medication. Providing these medications directly to the patient’s home would require extensive modification to the Drug and Cosmetics Act. This proposal has been accepted by the Union Government of India in an affidavit before the High Court of Madras. This affidavit also claims that the Acts related to pharmacy also need to be changed and brought up to date. Acts that deal with medicine, code of ethics, drugs, and magic remedies are also included.
The letter was written and provided to the CEO of the company Jeff Bezos. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister of India, Amit Shah, and several other top Ministers and government officials are also notified about the activity. They have added that the companies and startups that currently do such activities are already facing court proceedings under the laws of India. The organization also added that the start of such Companies are not only against the law but also against the public health of the country and must be put to stop as soon as possible. AIOCD said in the letter, “We also have a full dossier ready on this subject, and entering this space can bring on legal implications which can bring disrepute to Amazon’s name.”
The organization, AIOCD, added that the government’s decision to deliver medicine to the doorstep of the people due to the COVID-19 pandemic was meant only for the neighboring drugstores and pharmacies.
AIOCD, referring to a report by drug consultative committees said that in the current scenario selling medicine over the internet is not possible in the country. The report suggested a full overhaul of the system for the companies to attain the right to continue such activities. That report also highlights the need to establish a national portal for dispensation of e-prescription.
The committee’s report compared India’s system of selling medicine over the internet with the system of other countries. The report concluded that none of the systems matches the current way that India. Prescription drugs are attainable over the internet via these companies with little to no effort, which is by taking a snapshot or scanned images of a prescription. This increases the risk of misuse of medicine for addiction or much larger things. In the United States, the e-pharmacies does not provide medicine like this. The report, analyzing the gains and losses of the new system came to an agreement that, for now, in India, the dispensation of prescription drugs should only be done licensed chemists in the area or locality and not over the internet.
AIOCD, in its letter also mentioned the increase of drug addiction among the teenagers of the United Kingdom who were able to get their hands on prescription drugs through the internet. They pointed out the major loophole in the artificial intelligence of the companies that there is no mechanism by which the companies can identify and stop multiple orders at the same address.
The sale of medicine over the internet might also affect doctor-patient confidentiality. This might affect the supervision of the doctor and result in drug abuse.
Is there really a need for online medicine delivery?
With our phones becoming smarter every year, dependency on them growing with every passing minute and speed of life increasing exponentially, online delivery of the medicines if applied correctly and legally might benefit a lot of people. But the loopholes pointed out by the AIOCD can not be ignored in any case as they raise a valid point on the safety of the countrymen, especially the teenagers.
Is it safe? Can it be made safer?
The companies currently in the market offering delivery of medicines over the internet right at your doorstep are all bagging in profits. This shows that people are using the applications and upholds the need for such companies. There must be measures taken up by the government and companies to increase the safety of the people. Acts must be altered keeping in mind the interest of the public and the companies should apply measures to identify and stop overbuying prescription drugs by an individual.
At the end of the day, these are all precautions that the Government or the companies can take. With technology at our feet, the safety of an individual remains on how we intend to use the technology.