The online
sales of prescribed medicines in India are by and large
still unregulated. Illegal and unscrupulous online pharmacies, both
Indian and foreign, are taking advantage of this lacuna of Indian
laws.
However, those days of chaos and non regulation are
gone. Indian regulatory authorities are now scrutinising these online
pharmacies for violation of various pharmaceutical standards, codes
and regulations.
Although we have no dedicated e-commerce
laws and regulations in India yet the legal aspects of
online pharmacies can be found under multiple legislations of India.
According to Praveen Dalal, managing partner of New
Delhi based ICT law firm Perry4Law
and leading techno legal e-commerce expert of India, Online
Pharmacies of India are under Regulatory Scrutiny. There
are many Online Pharmacies in India that are openly
violating the Pharmaceutical and other Laws of India.
Further, these Online Pharmacies are also violating
the Cyber
Law of India, especially the Cyber
Law Due Diligence of India. There is an urgent need on the
part of States to crack down upon such Illegal Online Pharmacies of
India, opines Dalal.
Illegal online pharmacies are grave danger to the
lives of millions of Indian citizens who readily rely upon such
pharmacies for their medical requirements. The central drugs standard
control organisation (CDSCO) must play a more pro active role in this
regard. Till now its role has been passive and non-interfering in
nature when it is must be otherwise.
We hope the CDSCO and Indian government would take
strict penal action against the defaulting and illegal online
pharmacies that are openly flourishing in Indian that also right
under the nose of Indian government.
