Mandaviya to meet representatives of e-pharmacies soon, plan regulations

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will soon hold a meeting with the representatives of e-pharmacies that are on government radar over several concerns, including data privacy and irrational use of prescription drugs, official sources said on Wednesday.

They said the unrestrained and irrational use of prescription drugs by these e-pharmacies and maintaining the privacy of a patient's data are major areas of concern for them. These pharmacies collect the data on consumption of drugs area-wise, which increases the risks for patient safety, the sources explained.

The Union Health Ministry is already mulling regulations and stringent actions on e-pharmacies.

The revised draft of the New Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2023, which has been sent for inter-ministerial consultation, mentions, "The central government may, regulate, restrict or prohibit the sale or distribution of any drug by online mode, by notification."

The draft bill was put in the public domain in July l