The Joint Forum against Online Pharmacy on Tuesday alleged that online pharmacies promote "drug abuse and self-medication and are adverse elements" to the ‘War on Drugs’ mission of the state government.
There are 11 drug formulations available in 250 different brands which can be used as an alternative for drug abuses; unfortunately, the online pharmacies make those drugs easily available to everyone, including minors without any prescriptions from doctors, forum convenor K Sagar said while speaking to mediapersons in Imphal.
He said that delivering of such Schedule H and Schedule X drugs to a person with any prescriptions totally violates the Section 18(C) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules 1945. In this process, the online pharmacies have become an anti-element to the ‘War on Drugs’ mission which is becoming massively successful, he added.
The convenor also informed that the online pharmacies are offering at discounted prices as high as 30 per cent to lure the customers, while the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority fixed the price of pharmaceuticals products under the Drug Price Control order at 18 per cent margin to the retailers and eight per cent to the wholesalers with fixed MRP.
He questioned how online players are offering 30 per cent against the 26 per cent fixed margin and asserted that the public have the right to know the source of such discount.
Recently, crores of fake medicines, which were to be sold by online players, were seized during a raid conducted by STF in Uttarakhand, he said. The incident was an eye opener, he further said, adding, similar cases were also uncovered in Rajasthan, Ranchi and Assam, he added.
On July 5, the Gujarat High Court had issued notices to Central and state governments along with online pharmacies to stop this unlawful activity and abuse of law by online pharmacies for the sake of the health of the citizens, he said.
He further urged not to compromise one’s health with online pharmacies and appealed to all the people of Manipur to stay away and remained alert from online pharmacies for the interest of healthcare.
The forum is a conglomeration of the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association (MCDA), Centre of Medical and Sales Representatives Union, Imphal Unit (CRU), Medical and Sales Representatives Association of Manipur (MSRM) and Unemployed Pharmacist Association of Manipur (UPAM).
They also announced that a memorandum will be soon submitted to chief minister N Biren Singh in this regard.
