India's highest drug advisory committee has suggested setting up a sub-committee to assess if doorstep medicine delivery—authorized during the Covid-19 pandemic—can be made permanent. The proposal comes amid mounting pressure from the All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which has expressed fears of abuse by online platforms.

Key Highlights

DTAB to review notification

• The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) has suggested forming a sub-committee to look into the matter in depth.

• The government notification of 2020 permitted doorstep delivery of drugs during the Covid-19 crisis.

AIOCD raising concerns

• AIOCD, which represents 1.24 million distributors and chemists, has called for revoking the doorstep delivery permission.

• It accuses digital platforms of exploiting the provision and ensuring profits at the expense of patient safety.

Problems with prescription compliance

• The March 2020 notification had conditions such as stamping prescriptions.

• AIOCD alleges that certain platforms avoid these precautions, resulting in uncontrolled dispensing and self-medication.

Regulatory loopholes in e-pharmacy industry

• Online pharmacies are currently in a regulatory gray area.

• While a draft notification was released in 2018 for regulating e-pharmacies, final regulations have not been drafted.

Government's response to stakeholder feedback

• Health ministry called upon DTAB's suggestion after AIOCD's letter to Union Health Minister JP Nadda.

• AIOCD has referred to repeated abuse, risk of overuse, and absence of verification mechanisms as key issues.

The destiny of doorstep delivery of medicine in India now lies with a sub-committee that will balance its ongoing utility against regulatory gaps and safety issues. With no final law yet enacted for online pharmacies, conventional chemists continue to push for stricter controls on online drug sales.