Chemists seek ban on quick commerce sale of prescription drugs

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking urgent action to curb the online sale and instant delivery of prescription medicines by certain e-pharmacies and quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit.

In a letter dated August 11, the organisation said these platforms are delivering Schedule H/H1/X (prescription) medicines within minutes - without proper prescription checks - posing a serious public health risk and fuelling drug abuse, especially among youth.

The AIOCD highlighted key concerns including the menace of ghost prescriptions, where medicines are prescribed without genuine verification, such as prescriptions issued late at night for distant patients.


It added there is no prescription monitoring, with habit-forming drugs delivered unchecked, enabling substance abuse.

The AIOCD further warned that easy online access to medicines like Pregabalin could trigger a sharp rise in misuse.

"Foreign-funded start-ups are treating medicines like ordinary commodities, undermining India's domestic market and causing unemployment," it said.

AIOCD President J S Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal stressed that while offline chemists face strict regulation, illegal online players remain unchecked, contributing to a 55% surge in drug abuse.

"The misuse of Telemedicine Guidelines to bypass safeguards has worsened the problem," they added.