“I think that e-pharmacies, offline and online, they can co-exist. There's no doubt about that. But there have to be proper regulations,” said Yash Aggarwal, Legal Head at the South Chemist and Distributors Association (SCDA), while talking about the offline pharmacy communities’ expectations for e-pharmacy regulations. There have been several developments in the pharmacy sector, with the government taking a greater focus on the regulation of e-pharmacies. Industry bodies have long since been waiting for the government to revise the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules of 1945 to appropriately cover e-pharmacies. There’s also the Drugs, Medical Devices, and Cosmetics Bill, 2023, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2023. Breaking down the significance of these regulations, Aggarwal spoke on the need for a level playing field between offline and online pharmacies, proper licensing, and stricter regulations to ensure patient safety and security. DISCLAIMER: This video was recorded on July 29, 2023 - before the Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023 was tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnpzbxeMV68 Here’s a transcript of the interview, which includes Aggarwal’s insights into what should be the focus points for revising e-pharmacy related rules: MediaNama: A lot of e-pharmacies, because there is no set regulation in India yet regarding e-pharmacies, argue that they are intermediaries and are protected under safe harbor. How do you take this? Would you say that e-pharmacies are intermediaries, and if not, what would you call them? How should they be regulated? Aggarwal: No,…
