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The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), representing over 12.40 lakh chemists across India, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking urgent action to curb the illegal online sale and instant delivery of prescription medicines by certain e-pharmacies and quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit.
In its letter, AIOCD President JS Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal stated that despite the Delhi High Court's injunction and clear provisions of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, these platforms are delivering Schedule H/H1/X medicines within minutes without proper prescription checks, posing a grave threat to public health and fuelling drug abuse, especially among youth. According to AIOCD, the key concerns include "ghost prescriptions"--medicines prescribed without genuine verification, such as midnight prescriptions issued for distant patients; no prescription monitoring, with habit-forming drugs delivered without scrutiny; and the misuse of medicines like pregabalin, which has led to a sharp rise in addiction cases. The organisation has also alleged that foreign-funded start-ups are treating medicines like ordinary commodities to evade the law for profit, undermining India's domestic market and creating unemployment. AIOCD leadership has stressed that while offline chemists face strict regulation, illegal online players remain unchecked, leading to a 55 per cent surge in drug abuse. It further stated that the misuse of telemedicine guidelines to bypass safeguards has worsened the situation. The AIOCD has urged the government to impose an immediate ban on the online sale and 10-minute delivery of Schedule H/H1/X medicines, order the closure of e-pharmacies violating the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, and enforce strict measures to protect youth from the dangers of addiction. "This is not just about regulation; it's about protecting the nation's health and future. We fully support Amit Shah's mission of Ek Yudh Nashe Ke Viruddh and stand ready to assist the government in ending this menace," the AIOCD leadership said, adding, "STOP THE DRUG TRADE AIOCD stands strong with the nation." (ANI)
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