Petition against e-pharmas for 'violating norms'

Citing the Delhi High Court order of 2018, which issued injunction to e-pharmacies from online sale of medicines without license and directed that such sales were prohibited until further order, the letter said that "they continue to operate despite court orders.

"The illegally operating e-pharmacies are still in operation after more than 4.5 years," the letter read.

The AIOCD also said that though the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who also holds the Chemicals and Fertilizers ministry portfolio also, took the initiative and issued show cause notices to these illegal e-pharmacies by the DCGI, no action has been taken against them since the issuance of the notices.

The letter, signed by President J S Shinde and honorary general secretary Rajiv Singhal, said that they also brought an affidavit filed by the joint drug controller in 2020, which stated that "there is currently no provision under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 19440 and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 for online pharmacies.