Online pharmacies have transformed access to healthcare by allowing patients to order medicines from the comfort of their homes. However, since medicines can pose health risks if misused, the regulation of e-pharmacies is essential. In India and many other countries, the sale of drugs via digital platforms is subject to strict laws to ensure patient safety, proper dispensing, and ethical business practices.
This is the primary law regulating the manufacture, sale, and distribution of medicines in India. Online pharmacies must comply with the same provisions as offline chemists, including:
Only registered pharmacists are allowed to dispense medicines. Online pharmacies must have certified pharmacists who review prescriptions before dispatching orders.
Online platforms handling sensitive health data must ensure data security and privacy under the IT Act and adhere to cybersecurity standards.
While final rules are pending, the Ministry of Health has proposed a framework that includes:
Doctors prescribing medications via online consultation must follow telemedicine norms issued by the Medical Council of India, ensuring that prescriptions are valid and verifiable.
Platforms like 1mg, Netmeds, Pharmeasy must tie up with licensed pharmacies to process orders.
They must clearly display drug categories (prescription vs OTC).
Customer identity and prescription details must be verified before dispatch.
No advertising or promotion of Schedule H or prescription-only drugs is allowed.
Medicines marked Rx should only be sold against a doctor's prescription. Forged or reused prescriptions are punishable.
Sale of narcotic and habit-forming drugs is heavily restricted and often prohibited online.
Drugs should be delivered in tamper-proof packaging, and temperature-sensitive medicines must follow cold chain logistics.
Pharmacies must maintain detailed records of sales, prescriptions, and invoices for audit and legal inspection.
A customer orders antibiotics from an online pharmacy without uploading a valid prescription. The platform delivers the medicine without verification. Later, during a regulatory audit, the pharmacy is penalized.
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