Thiruvarur CDA in TN asks drug manufacturers to stop supplies to e-pharmacies

September 11, 2023

The Thiruvarur District Chemists and Druggists Association (Thiruvarur CDA), a breakaway district committee of the Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association (TNCDA), has asked the drug manufacturers in the country to stop supply of pharmaceuticals to e-pharmacies because they are not licensed to sell medicines to the public.

The association will send notices to the manufacturing companies and also to the wholesalers/distributors asking them to immediately stop their supplies to the e-pharmacies.

The general body of the Thiruvarur CDA held recently at Vijula Mahal at Thiruthuraipoondi passed a resolution in this regard and decided to forward the same to all the drug manufacturers associations in India. The association has already sought the attention of the union health minister urging him to interfere into the matter as the e-pharmacies are trading medicines without licences and it is against the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of the country, said Mannargudi Ramachandran, secretary of the Thiruvarur CDA.

He said the president of the association, A Lekshmanan of Chinnammal Drug Store in Thiruthuraipoondi has brought the resolution in the general body and all the 300 members attended in the meeting voted in favour. He said the meeting was held on Janmashtami day, however more than 60 per cent of the members attended the meeting.

According to Ramachandran, the e-pharmacy groups have formed an association at the national level and they work from Delhi. “We want the government of India to stop their operations until they are legalized. Right now they have no license at all, so their operation is illegal. The central and state regulatory bodies can take action against them, but the operation of the e-pharmacies is progressing without any hurdle. It is high time for the government to interfere in their activities and stop it”, he said in a telephonic chat with Pharmabiz.  

The association has passed another resolution which demands the state government to fix the electricity tariff of the medical shops with those of the household consumers because the medical shops are selling essential medicines for the health of the people. The association has sent the copy to the electricity minister and also to the chief minister. Thiruvarur CDA is also raising the demand to the state government that the drug control department should restrict issuing drug licences by putting some distance limits between the existing pharmacies.

Ramachandran said he and his office-bearers will call a meeting of wholesalers and manufacturers in Chennai next month to discuss the issue of supply to unlicensed pharmacies. He will also meet the state health minister and the heath secretary to apprise them about the unethical business practices, he added.

PHARMABIZ.com