|
Raising deep concern over the partnership between Swiggy Instamart and PharmEasy for a rapid drug delivery model, the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has apprised the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) that this move is against the standards set under Indian law and may lead to serious health and safety problems to the people.
Instamart is the grocery service of the online food ordering and delivery company, Swiggy, and PharmEasy is an online healthcare and drug delivery platform which offers a variety of products and services throughout India.
According to the reported partnership, the two entities will join hands together to deliver medicines ordered online, within 10 minutes through dark stores.
The trade body has wanted the country’s drug regulator to take immediate action to control a possible menace in the drug distribution system in the country as the ultra-fast delivery model launched by the online companies may lead to circulation of expired and counterfeit drugs in the market. This rapid delivery system cannot follow the required legal and quality standards.
The president of the AIOCD, JS Shinde and the general secretary Rajiv Singhal, in their letter to the DCGI highlighted the seriousness of the tie-up between the two online entities, and informed the national drug regulator their concerns over various issues due to this partnership.
According to them this partnership business is the one which will endanger the health of common citizens besides ignoring important standards like proper prescription checking and patient identification. The national trade leaders said this collaboration will further violate the existing drug rules in the country. There are strict rules for drug distribution, storing and delivery, which ensure patients’ safety. But this delivery via dark stores within 10 minutes will cause the collapse of all the drug laws in the country.
Further, they said even as the country is taking steps to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through a number of initiatives, this ultra-fast delivery model will undermine the efforts of the government to tackle the AMR menace. AIOCD raises the fear that this unregulated operation of e-pharmacies will further increase the threat of antimicrobial resistance.
Another issue raised by the trade leaders is about legal complications. AIOCD says that the online company PharmEasy is already caught up in legal issues because of regulatory violations. This collaboration with Swiggy will further create legal problems which will put the companies into serious troubles.
The association wanted the CDSCO to review the issues raised by them and take necessary steps to ensure availability of safe and quality medicines in the market in order to protect the health of the citizens of India. They informed the drug regulator that their association (AIOCD) is committed to upholding the role of the traditional chemists and druggists, and will continue to serve the nation by opposing any potential threat to the health of the people.
|