HC cautions on ‘illegal’ sale of medicines online

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the city government to take action against those engaging in online sale of drugs without a valid licence. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula also granted six weeks to the Centre to take appropriate steps and inform the court about its final stand on "illegal" sale of drugs online.

The bench listed the matter for further hearing on November 16 after the Centre's counsel informed the court that consultations are still going on about a draft notification on online sale of drugs. “Union of India is granted further six weeks' time to take appropriate steps and thereafter, inform the court of UoI's final stand in this matter. In the interim, the Union of India and State Government are directed to take necessary action, in accordance with law, in respect of persons acting in violation of the interim order dated December 12, 2018, that is, engaging in online sale of drugs without a valid licence,” the bench said in its order passed on August 28. Some of the e-pharmacies had earlier told the high court that they do not require a licence for online sale of drugs and prescription medicines as they do not sell them and instead they are only delivering the medications akin to food delivery app Swiggy. Just like Swiggy does not require a restaurant's licence to deliver food, they do not need a licence to deliver medicines to customers who purchase drugs online, the e-pharmacies had told the court.