E-pharmacy companies seek more time to submit reply

Most firms engaged in online sale of drugs and medicines including Amazon, Apollo Pharmacy, Practo and Flipkart Health+ have asked for additional time of one-two weeks to submit their reply to the show-cause notices sent to them by health ministry regarding ban on ePharmacy.

Reliance Retail-promoted Netmed has sought a month’s time so that it can provide all the clarifications and details in response to the notice. Meanwhile, Tata 1mg, the official said, has urged the government to withdraw the notice, claiming that it complies with all the provisions of law.

As per the sources, the Centre is determined to put a complete ban on online sale of drugs and medicines and in this regard, it had sent show-cause notices to nearly 31 firms. Queries sent to Amazon, Tata 1mg and Flipkart, didn’t elicit any response. PharmEasy denied the alleged averments made in the notice, as per the official. It said its platform acts as a facilitator for the sale of pharmaceutical, fast moving consumer goods and nutraceutical products and healthcare services (such as diagnostic services).

“The products and services are invited for an offer for sale (subject to valid prescriptions where applicable) by retail pharmacies, which are registered with the Food and Drugs Administration (“Registered Pharmacies”) and are listed on the platforms to the users of the platform,” it said in its reply to the notice.

“We have received over 15 responses so far. Many of them asked for additional time to submit their reply. Six firms have stated they are providing an online platform for facilitating sale of pharma products to customers from their partners, while a big player has responded they are compliant with applicable provisions of law and urged for withdrawing of the notice,” the official added. The ministry in February had sent show-cause notices to big players like Amazon, Flipkart, Practo, Tata1mg, PharmEasy, Apollo, Zeelabs and HealthKart for selling drugs online without necessary licences. The New Indian Express