Assam: Pharmaceutical body raises concern over online sale of medicine

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• Jun 12, 2022 | Guriya Khatun

Barman said that they have further appealed to the Central government to reduce the prices of medicines.

Digital Desk: The Joint
Action Forum of Pharmaceutical Organizations (JAFPO) has expressed serious
concern over online sales of drugs at around a 30 percent discount when
the industry gives a trade margin of 8 percent to stockists and 18 percent to
retailers.

Birendra Kumar
Barman, convener and president of the Association of Advanced Pharmacy
Practitioners (AAPP), remarked, "The question of how online pharmacies can
offer a 30% discount against a 26% trade margin inevitably emerges." The
public has a right to know where these medicines are purchased at such low
prices. People will believe that such efforts to entice clients will lead to
the circulation of counterfeit and substandard drugs, posing a significant
challenge in the healthcare industry. Several incidences of inferior and bogus
drugs have been reported across the country. Such events have been reported in
Rajasthan, Ranchi, and most recently in Assam's Nagaon area. "

The JAFPO,
which includes the Chemists & Druggists' Association of Assam (CDAA), the
Centre of Medical & Sales Representative Union (North-East Region) (CRU-NER),
the AAPP, and the Assam Pharmaceutical Association (APA), has urged all
stakeholders to take note of the recent development of online medicine sales as
well as increases in medicine prices. At their meeting on June 6, the JAFPO
held a thorough debate on the subject. "Online sales of pharmaceuticals is
an absolute violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 and the Rules of
1945," it stated.

Barman stated,
"According to a whitepaper published this year by the Indian Medical
Association (IMA), it is a blatant breach of the law and goes against the basic
foundation of medical ethics and ethos." According to the whitepaper,
"Online pharmacies will promote drug abuse, misuse of medications, and
self-medication." Any drug taken without a doctor's supervision can be
harmful and even life-threatening. "

In addition,
Barman stated, "In comparison to the whole Indian Pharma industry of Rs
1.5 lakh crore, internet sales of medications have already acquired around
13–14 percent of the value market share." In Assam's urban areas, internet
drug sales account for about 4% of the market. It indicates that drugs will be
taken over or shifted into the hands of large corporations seeking profit by
claiming "easy availability of medications at the doorstep."

Barman said
that they have further appealed to the Central government to reduce the prices
of medicines and that the government should reduce the prices at the MRP level, rather
than roll back the recent hike to the extent of 10 percent of 800 medicines belonging
to the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

He further said
that it should not allow such huge discounts to lure customers

 .