Consumer Online Foundation appeals the health ministry to regulate sale of drugs through online and offline Pharmacies

A latest consumer survey reveals the rise in unsafe purchase of drugs in the absence of proper rules and regulations. Consumer Online Foundation (COF) has advised the government and Union ministry of health and family welfare to regulate the safe and secure purchase of medicines through online and offline pharmacies.

Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 is the most flouted law in India with rise in medicines being sold without prescriptions and proper records through offline mediums, said BejonMisra, consumer activist and founder of Consumer Online Foundation and Patient Safety and Access Initiative of India Foundation, citing survey report.

According to the survey held by COF and Bureau of Research for Industry & Economic Fundamentals about 61% consumers prefer to purchase medicines themselves online. The survey also revealed that 50% of people believe that selling medicines without prescription is normal and while 50% of respondents buy medicines from chemist shops without prescription and 36% have never received any bill for the medicines they bought. Buying medicines without prescription leads to self-medication and poses a big risk to public health. Selling medicines without bills poses the risk of fake medicines circulating in the market as the sale of these medicines can never be tracked, said Mr.Misra

A majority of 90% respondents in the survey showed preference for online pharmacies for various reasons like availability of all kinds of medicines is just a click away, proper counselling by qualified pharmacists, convenience of buying, better prices and ease of tracking orders amongst many other reasons for favoring online pharmacies.

Bejon Misra said “The survey can be useful for a sub-committee, set up by the government to frame guidelines for online sale of medicines. The survey highlights the need for strict enforcement of all the existing laws and immediate legislation in place of the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 as well as bring changes in certain sections of all the other relevant laws to keep pace with changing timings and take stringent action against such criminals who are undermining the health and safety of the citizens”.

“Online pharmacies provide better alternative to offline pharmacies as they are not only more compliant with the law, but also provide a host of other benefits,” he added.

Not having qualified pharmacists on board, lack of counselling about medicine, dosage, usage, etc., getting substitutes when brands written on prescription is not available with the chemist shop are some of the common practices in chemist shops posing patient safety risks, he opined.

“WHO has brought out after several consultations on the Best Pharmacy Practices Guidelines and the Pharmacists in India were even trained to adopt such practices but unfortunately till date, neither the associations nor the state drug regulators are insisting on its implementation”, said Prafull D. Sheth, a senior Board Member of PSM India Initiative and former president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association.

“Consumer awareness and empowering patients with full credible information on the quality and safety of medicines is paramount and patients must be provided with choice to ensure healthy competition and access to quality health care", opined Bina Jain, former president of All India Women’s’ Conference (AIWC) and Board Member of Consumer Online Foundation.

She further added “Technology can become one of the biggest enablers to protect the rights of the patients and improve the accessibility to healthcare under the Universal Health Coverage.”