BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 11th December 2025: The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), representing over 12.40 lakh licensed brick-and-mortar pharmacies nationwide, has issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding immediate closure of illegal e-pharmacies and withdrawal of government notifications GSR 817 and GSR 220.
AIOCD President J. S. Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal warned that the unchecked sale of medicines—particularly antibiotics—through illegal online platforms and quick-commerce apps poses a grave threat to national health security. They stressed that such sales are being conducted without medical examinations, qualified doctors, or valid licences.
The appeal follows an investigative report by national media, which exposed how certain quick-commerce platforms, notably Blinkit, are supplying prescription drugs without proper medical oversight. The probe revealed that medicines were being dispensed through dubious and unverified “doctors,” raising concerns over antibiotic resistance, misdiagnosis, and fake medical advice.
AIOCD highlighted that these practices amount to serious violations of multiple laws and regulations, including the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, the Pharmacy Act, the Telemedicine Guidelines, the Medical Ethics Regulations, and the NMC Code of Conduct.
Despite these legal safeguards, many platforms reportedly continue to operate without licences, qualified pharmacists, or proper medical record-keeping.
The AIOCD has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose an immediate ban on all illegal e-pharmacies and unlawful medicine sales through quick-commerce platforms, in compliance with the Delhi High Court order of December 12, 2018. The organisation has further demanded the withdrawal of GSR 817 and GSR 220, arguing that these notifications promote unregulated digital sales of medicines. It has also called for urgent measures to safeguard vulnerable groups—including children, women, senior citizens, and rural populations—from unsafe online medical practices.
In its communique, AIOCD emphasized that in a country as vast as India, medicines must only be dispensed by licensed pharmacists. The organisation warned that illegal online practices are undermining the healthcare system and cannot be tolerated.
AIOCD reiterated its commitment to cooperate with the government but stressed that urgent intervention is essential to safeguard public health, uphold medical ethics, and protect patients’ interests.
The statement was formally conveyed by Biswajit Saha, General Secretary of the All Tripura Chemists & Druggists Association.
