Is it legal to buy non prescription drugs from an online pharmacy in India ?
Now a days everything is becoming digital and so as healthcare . So customers are moving towards digital way of buying medicines , taking consultancy of doctors etc . But till date we don't have any specific online pharmacy laws in India . We will discuss in this article about the legality of buying online medicines without prescription from any online pharmacy in India .
This issue has two aspects .
- Safety issue
- Legal issue
Safety issue :
Without the prescription of doctor or pharmacist , it is always risky to buy medicine no matter it is online or offline . Your biggest priority should be your health and being careless in case of your health issues is irresponsible . So choose apps who will provide you a consultancy session with experienced doctor and gives you the chance to describe your exact health issue and provide medicines accordingly. You can buy medicines from the best medicine delivery app in Delhi 3meds , it is trustworthy as it provides you the opportunity to talk with a doctor before buying products.
Legal issue
Online pharmacies do not fall under specific laws and acts detailing the conditions for their functioning, however, they are currently being regulated by some clauses of the Information Technology Act, 2000. This act is regulating the legal aspects of selling medicines over digital platform .Similarly, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 define category X and H of drugs and governs that all pharmacies must ask for a prescription before selling these drugs and label them according to a set format, even online pharmacies must adhere by these regulations.
They believe that online pharmacies can revolutionise the healthcare sector, making it accessible for everyone.
By the end of 2017, NITI Ayog entered the process of developing a regulatory policy for online pharmacies.
Some of the clauses included conditions like:
1. Keeping a record of all prescriptions of customers.
2. E-pharmacies will also be linked to remote medical shops so that they can reach to complete remote areas too.
3. E-pharmacies should ensure timely delivery of every purchase .
4. E-pharmacies should maintain proper records of the gebuinity of the local pharmacies they are working with.
5. E-pharmacies to also promote indigenous healthcare techniques like Ayurveda, Unani, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH).
Conclusion
Buying medicines online is one of the drastic moves from physical world to digital . But we should never forget the issues that come along with this . Online pharmacy laws in India are not so prevalent , so we should be aware about everything we order or every medicine we take . It is important to choose the right app with consulting facilities and then should order or buy medicines.