Government panel plans to retain rule allowing doorstep drug delivery

New Delhi: A government sub-committee has recommended keeping the 2020 rule that allows doorstep delivery of medicines, saying that scrapping the notification would adversely affect elderly patients, those with chronic diseases and people in rural and remote areas who depend on home delivery for their regular medications.

The recommendation spells a setback for the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, which had approached the government seeking withdrawal of notification arguing that it was being misused by digital platforms to facilitate medicine deliveries without proper prescription checks.

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"The association had raised concerns that the notification may bypass the requirement of Rule 65(e) of the Drugs Rules, 1945 regarding sale of drugs on original prescription and alleged misuse by certain digital platforms notably Swiggy, among others facilitating doorstep delivery of medicines," the sub-committee said.

The matter was first deliberated in April 2025 by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, which recommended constituting a sub-committee to examine it in detail. The sub-committee submitted its report in May this year and recommended that withdrawal of the notification is "not advisable". It observed that the notification continued to serve a critical purpose, particularly for patients in rural and remote areas, elderly and those managing chronic conditions who rely on doorstep delivery for medication. Withdrawing it, panel said, would leave these patients without a practical means of accessing their medicines regularly.

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Rather than scrapping the notification, the sub-committee recommended stricter and more effective implementation of its existing provisions to regulate the sale of medicines, prevent irregular or unauthorised online sale of drugs without valid prescriptions and ensure that digital platforms comply with the procedures prescribed under the notification.

"The sub-committee members are not in favour of withdrawal of GSR 220(E), because its withdrawal will adversely impact rural and remote areas and also adversely impact senior citizens, nuclear households, single parents and patients with chronic ailments," panel said. "Committee has suggested notification should be effectively implemented to ensure irregular sale of medicines is prevented through online platform, no sale occurs without valid prescription and all procedures mentioned in GSR 220(E) are followed."