The Indian government sent notices to over 20 online pharmacies (e-pharmacies) asking why action should not be taken against them for the online sale of drugs without a license, MoneyControl reported on February 10. The notice, sent by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), alleged that the online pharmacies are selling drugs in contravention of provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. Selling drugs without a license can have a potential impact on the quality of drugs and pose a public health risk, the notice added. Which online pharmacies were sent notices: The complete list is not available but according to various media reports, the e-commerce sites that were sent notices include: Amazon Flipkart Health+ Tata 1mg Netmeds Apollo Zeelabs PhamEasy Healthcare 2 days to respond: The DCGI asked the online platforms to respond to the notice within 2 days and warned that necessary action will be taken if the platforms don't respond. According to LiveMint, the notice was dated February 8, which means the deadline to respond has passed. MediaNama has reached out to a few online pharmacies requesting a copy of the notice and any responses sent to the government. Why does this matter: Online pharmacies, despite the tremendous convenience they bring to consumers, function on murky regulatory grounds as there are no specific laws to regulate them. Because of this, chemist associations and other trade bodies have called for a clamp down on online pharmacies stating that they don't fall under or adhere to existing drug laws in India. While…
