On Thursday, an official source revealed that the Union Health Ministry is likely to take strict actions against e-pharmacies and their closure. The source explained that the existing business model used by e-pharmacies puts patients′ personal privacy at risk and raises the chance of drug abuse, which can be troublesome for patients ordering medications online.

On February 8, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) sent show-cause notices to unauthoritative online pharmacies. The online pharmacies and platforms were given two days to respond to the show-cause notice or face harsh action on the sale and distribution of medicines in the nation without further warning.

E-pharmacies are allegedly breaking a number of provisions of the 1940 Medicines and Cosmetics Act, according to official Union Health Ministry sources. Several major companies in the market, including Tata1mg, Practo, Apollo Amazon, Flipkart, etc., received show-cause letters from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), which was responsible for regulating more than 20 online pharmacies and online platforms.

The All Indian Origin Chemists and Distributors (AIOCD) released a statement stating that they have been warning the central government that the sale of drugs online and the promotion of drug sales through advertising with discounts and schemes are illegal and could be harmful to the public′s health in accordance with the Drug Act, Pharmacy Act, and other rules and orders relating to drugs.

They went on to say that access to online apps made it simple to obtain sedatives, antibiotics, pregnancy-termination kits, and narcotics, and that it was now exceedingly challenging for state FDAs to trace and monitor interstate patient supplies of these items.