FDA to start campaign against online sale of ‘unhealthy’ meds

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon to start an awareness campaign about the online sale of Schedule ‘H’ and Schedule ‘X’ medicines, which are considered unhealthy. This is in the backdrop of the direction of the Bombay high court to take immediate steps to curb the sale of such drugs online.

“We are soon to start an awareness campaign to inform people about the sale of such drugs online. But we can plan properly only after we get the order of the HC,” said Nilesh Gandhi, assistant commissioner of FDA.

Last year, in December, hundreds of traders went on a nationwide strike to raise their voice against illegal sale of medicines online. “As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, an online pharmacy cannot sale Schedule H and Schedule X medicines such as Diazepam, Lorazepam, and insulin online,” said

Dr Yusuf Merchant, president, Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre (DAIRRC).

The Asian Age, in its report published on January 14, 2016, stated that government pleader Priyabhushan Kakade informed the court that the Maharashtra government has identified 86 websites that sell medicines online.

He told the court that out of them, 44 are foreign-based websites and court’s order would be required to ban or block the website and hence a list of these websites would be submitted before the court on next date of hearing.