40,000 TN pharmacies down shutters over unregulated online sales

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association organised a one-day statewide shutdown of pharmacies across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, expressing concern over the unregulated online sale of medicines, which threatens public safety. They urged the Central and State governments to take immediate steps to regulate such sales.

The Association's general secretary, G Ashok, said that more than 40,000 pharmacies in Tamil Nadu and over 12.5 lakh pharmacies across India, along with the families dependent on them, were facing a threat to their livelihood.

He alleged that consumers purchasing medicines online could receive poorly stored or substandard medicines, affecting both public health and pharmacy businesses. He further claimed that abortion-related drugs and certain restricted medicines were reportedly being sold online without proper medical consultation or prescriptions.

He urged the Central and State governments to take immediate measures to impose a permanent ban on online medicine sales.

Pharmacists alleged that medicines were being sold illegally through online platforms without prescriptions from doctors or consultation with qualified pharmacists, thereby endangering public health. They further claimed that painkillers and sleeping pills classified under Schedule-H1 and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) categories were being sold online without adequate control, increasing the risk of drug addiction among youth.

The association also accused certain e-pharmacy companies of selling life-saving medicines, including drugs used for cancer and heart ailments, under poor storage conditions and even beyond expiry dates. It urged both the Central and State governments to initiate strict action against corporate companies allegedly endangering public lives.

Raising concerns over the rise in counterfeit and substandard medicines through online trade, the association called for strengthening drug quality control mechanisms and eliminating the sale of fake medicines.