Sri Vijaya Puram, Dec 27: The All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), and Andaman & Nicobar Chemist and Druggist Association which represents all chemists and distributors of the union territory and across India, has written to the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the third time, appealing to revoke the notification G.S.R. 220 (E) issued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This notification G.S.R. 220 (E) was published in March 2020 during the COVID pandemic, wherein movement restriction ware imposed, supply of medicines to the doorstep was allowed with some conditions, under Section 26B of the Drugs Act to regulate the manufacture, sale, and distribution of medicines. Under this, doorstep delivery of medicines was allowed and some rules, such as the requirement to stamp the prescription for the sale of medicines (Rule 65), were temporarily set aside only as a special circumstance.
AIOCD President JS Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal said that the main purpose of this notification was to deliver medicines in emergency situations through local chemists, but now it is being misused by Swiggy and other digital platforms to deliver medicines at home without following the necessary regulatory safety measures.
All these illegal platforms are selling medicines without a valid prescription, which is increasing serious problems like self-medication, drug abuse, and antimicrobial resistance. All such illegal platforms are focusing only on their profits by ignoring the safety of patients.
AIOCD and Andaman & Nicobar Chemist and Druggist Association has said that the original intention of this notification was to make the delivery of medicines in specific circumstances for valid licensed nearby chemists – not for online platforms to bypass important safety measures.
All these online platforms are ignoring the rules of drug delivery for their convenience, which can have a negative impact on the health of the public.
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