The Delhi HC court has now listed the online sale of drugs/medicines matter for further hearing on March 25, 2019.
The Delhi High Court has banned the sale of drugs and prescribed medicines by online pharmacies.
So, you will no longer be able to buy medicines from online platforms. And if you do, it will be called "illegal". A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao has passed the interim order seeking a ban on "illegal" sale of drugs and medicines online.
So why has Delhi HC banned the sale of online medicines? According to the plea "Online pharmacies are operating without a drug licence and cannot be regulated in the present regime. Unregulated and unlicensed sale of medicines will increase the risk of spurious, misbranded and sub-standard drugs being sold."
The plea reveals that there are several online pharmacies that are selling prescription medicines in large numbers without a valid prescription, which can put safety and health of the consumers at risk. Furthermore, the plea also asks authorities to take action against any such online pharmacies distributing, selling or exhibiting drugs on the internet
The Petition also noted, "It is a matter of public knowledge that e-commerce websites have been caught on numerous occasions of selling fake products. Unlike consumer items, drugs are extremely potent substances and consuming wrong dose or fake medicine can have fatal consequences on the patient."
It also mentioned that currently there' no mechanism to control the sale of medicines on the Internet and hence the online sale of medicines /drug may cause health hazards not just for the adults but also among the children considering they spend most of their day on the internet. The petition further noted that the online sale of medicines also affects the right to a safe and healthy life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Delhi HC court has now listed the online sale of drugs/medicines matter for further hearing on March 25, 2019.