AIOCD demands strict action against illegal e-pharmacies; raises alarm over inaction by SLAs

New Delhi [India], July 27 (ANI): The All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), representing over 12.40 lakh chemists across India, has expressed grave concern over the illegal and unregulated operation of online pharmacy platforms, which allegedly continue to sell medicines in violation of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, posing a serious threat to public health.
Accoridng to a statement from AIOCD, JS Shinde, President, Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, informed that in a formal communication addressed to the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, AIOCD has highlighted the continued inaction by State Licensing Authorities (SLAs), despite repeated complaints being forwarded to them by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
While the Minister's reply in the Rajya Sabha on 22nd July 2025 stated that complaints regarding unauthorised sale of medicines are referred to SLAs, however, AIOCD has informed that no visible or effective action has been taken by any SLA across the country.
To escalate this matter further, a high-level delegation of AIOCD met with the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Dr Rajeev Raghuvanshi, on July 21, and urged him to take the following urgent actions: Immediate crackdown on all illegal e-pharmacies operating without any valid license or oversight, including the Quick Commerce Players; Withdrawal of GSR 220(E), which was issued during the COVID-19 epidemic but is now being misused by these platforms to justify unlawful activities, and Withdrawal of GSR 817(E), the draft regulation issued in August 2018, which has remained in draft form for over eight years, enabling misuse due to lack of legal clarity, according to the statement.
AIOCD has repeatedly submitted that GSR 817(E) is outdated and has failed to address the ground realities of digital drug distribution.
JS Shinde, President, Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, AIOCD, highlighted that the loosely drafted definition of 'Manufacturer' is the root cause of the issue and emphasised the need for a holistic and comprehensive approach involving all concerned departments, the statement said.

AIOCD also expressed its readiness to provide suitable amendments to the Act, Rules, and relevant orders. AIOCD reiterated that medicines are not ordinary consumer goods, and their sale and distribution must not be left to automated platforms or unauthorized logistics chains. Continued inaction will lead to a public health disaster of irreversible scale.
According to the statement, AIOCD demanded immediate withdrawal of GSR 817(E) and GSR 220(E) to prevent further legal misuse; Centralized enforcement action by CDSCO against all illegal online pharmacies; Action of all illegal E pharmacies on government directives must be initiated immediately by State SLA`s .
AIOCD appeals to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take urgent action in the interest of safeguarding public health and restoring trust in India's pharmaceutical regulatory system, the statement added. (ANI)