Epharmacy firms meet health officials to discuss regulations
- ByStartupStory | April 21, 2023
Reportedly, Epharmacy firms including PharmEasy, Tata 1mg, Flipkart, and Amazon India had discussions with health ministry officials during the G20 meetings in Goa to address industry regulations. This was a part of the G20 health working group meeting. The companies were requested to provide a formal presentation to the government concerning the advantages of epharmacies, their compliance status, and the challenges faced by the industry due to the persistently high demand for online medicine delivery.
It is reported that following the submission of the presentation, Epharmacy companies such as PharmEasy and 1mg, which are members of the Digital Health Platforms (DHP) industry association, may meet with Union Minister of Health Mansukh Mandaviya in the coming month. The DHP is expected to prepare the presentation. This consultation process is being carried out before any new regulations are implemented. Although a total ban on epharmacies seems improbable, the government is seeking a report on the advantages to customers beyond the discounts offered by these platforms on medicines and lab tests.
Nearly 10 days after media reports indicated that epharmacy companies were to meet the health minister to discuss data privacy concerns, discussions were held in Goa. This marks one of the rare occasions when the government has heard the industry’s perspective on regulating online pharmacies. On February 10, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) issued show-cause notices to 20 epharmacies, including Amazon, Flipkart, and Tata 1mg, for violating the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, by selling and distributing drugs. After receiving the notices, the companies reached out to the health ministry to present their viewpoints, and they reportedly responded to the show-cause notices.
In March, it was reported that a Group of Ministers (GoM) had recommended the closure of epharmacy platforms due to alleged malpractices in the sector, along with concerns about data privacy, predatory pricing, and the sale of medicines without prescriptions. The GoM’s opinion came after the health ministry revised the draft of the new Drugs, Medical Devices, and Cosmetics Bill, incorporating regulations that empower the government to regulate the sale and distribution of any drug through online mode, including epharmacy firms. The proposed legislation, which replaced the previous draft released to the public in July 2022 for feedback from stakeholders, also introduced a licensing regime for online pharmacies, but the regulations are yet to be finalised.
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