|
The South Chemists & Distributors Association (SCDA), the organisation of chemists and pharmaceutical distributors working in Delhi, has sought urgent intervention from the Union ministry of commerce against the e-commerce and quick commerce pharmacy ventures alleging that it is illegal and against public health
The Association, in a letter to Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, was responding to the Minister's statement at the Startup Mahakumbh where he criticised the Indian start-ups to be focusing more on food deliveries, betting apps or crafted ice creams and not on deep technology which add value to the overall ecosystem.
"We request our government to not only see the macro economics and factors but also to focus on micro economics and factors," said Yash Aggarwal, legal and media head, SCDA in the letter to the Minister.
Pointing at the presence of quick commerce in drug delivery, it added that the players are advertising free medical consultation, allegedly bypassing the rules to increase their sales and valuations, at the cost of public health.
"Drugs require strict professional supervision, proper storage conditions, and compliance with prescription protocols. The current model of online medicine sales compromises patient safety, increases the risk of misuse, and poses a serious threat to public health. Day by day cases of spurious and substandard medicines are increasing because of these online deliveries," it alleged.
However, the government is silent and is not taking any concrete steps on such practices, alleged the Association.
India's unorganised retail sector employs a large population, with almost 80 per cent of our workforce in the small to large retail stores, and for some reason, all start ups in the name of technology are focused on this sector.
"They develop minimum infrastructure, get foreign capital funding and indulge in 'Cash Burn' to increase their business. Some start ups even defend the concept of Cash Burn by stating it creates long term value," it alleged.
Besides, quick commerce models are also following the same model and it creates several issues to the traditional retail economy, creating an "extremely long term impact", it alleged.
"The kirana/general stores will very soon perish under this onslaught. Sadly, our consumers are also very selfish/self-centred/unmindful/lazy /greedy/uncaring/insensitive to be giving business to these platforms for a very small incentive coming from 'Cash Burn' money," added the Association.
The start ups also may use their capital for sales and take away the job opportunities now offered by the unorganised sector.
"The ground level situation is very bad, will continue to be so and will only get worse if some concrete measures are not taken by our government. Please visit the markets and see how the shopkeepers are sitting and waiting for someone to come to their premises to buy something," it said.
|