The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has raised an alarm over the growing trend of selling and delivering prescription medicines through online quick commerce and e-pharmacy platforms. In a formal letter sent to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 11, the association asked for urgent action to stop this practice, warning that it poses serious risks to public health.
According to the AIOCD, platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and some other e-pharmacies are delivering medicines that fall under Schedule H, H1, and X categories — which are meant to be sold only after checking a valid prescription — in just a matter of minutes. This speed, combined with the lack of proper verification, could lead to misuse of drugs, especially among young people.
Why Chemists Are Concerned
The AIOCD believes that selling prescription medicines online without strict checks is extremely dangerous. These drugs are not like over-the-counter painkillers or vitamins — many of them can cause serious side effects or be addictive if not taken under proper medical supervision.
The organisation says that quick deliveries leave no time for pharmacists to verify prescriptions or counsel patients about the safe use of medicines. This opens the door for misuse, including drug abuse among youth.
The Problem of ‘Ghost Prescriptions’
One of the biggest concerns raised in the letter is the rise of ghost prescriptions. These are prescriptions that are either fake or issued without a genuine medical consultation. For example, a doctor could send a prescription late at night for a patient hundreds of kilometres away — someone they have never actually examined.
Without proper verification, these fake or suspicious prescriptions can be used to get habit-forming medicines delivered instantly. The AIOCD warns that this makes it very easy for people to obtain drugs that can cause addiction, such as Pregabalin, without any medical need.
No Monitoring, Easy Access to Addictive Medicines
In traditional offline pharmacies, sales of Schedule H/H1/X drugs are recorded and monitored. Pharmacists are required to keep proper records, check prescriptions, and sometimes even refuse sales if they suspect misuse. However, many online platforms are bypassing these safeguards.
The AIOCD points out that there is no proper system to track who is ordering these medicines online or how often they are buying them. This means a single person could place multiple orders using different accounts or addresses, with no limit on how much of a drug they can get.
This uncontrolled access could lead to a sharp rise in substance abuse cases, the organisation warns. In fact, according to their data, drug abuse cases in India have already increased by 55% in recent years.
Impact on Small Chemists and the Domestic Market
Apart from health concerns, the AIOCD also spoke about the economic impact of this trend. They say that many of these quick commerce and e-pharmacy companies are foreign-funded start-ups that treat medicines like ordinary consumer goods. Their focus is on fast delivery and profits, not on safety and regulation.
As these platforms grow, they are taking away customers from small, locally owned chemist shops that strictly follow the rules. This could lead to job losses and hurt India’s domestic pharmaceutical market, which has been built over decades.
A Call for Stronger Rules and Enforcement
AIOCD President J S Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal have called for strict government action to bring online sellers under the same regulatory system as offline chemists. They believe that unless strong steps are taken, the situation will get worse.
Some of the measures they suggest include:
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Mandatory prescription verification by licensed pharmacists before delivery.
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A centralised digital prescription monitoring system to prevent multiple purchases of the same drug by one person.
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Heavy fines and legal action against platforms that break the rules.
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Regular government inspections of e-pharmacy operations.
How This Affects India’s Pharmaceutical Industry
This debate is not just about online versus offline sales — it also affects the future of India’s pharmaceutical sector. The country is known for its well-regulated chemist network, monopoly medicine company in India opportunities, and strong manufacturing base.
However, if quick commerce platforms are allowed to operate without proper regulation, it could disrupt the distribution system that ensures medicines reach people safely. This could also have an impact on every pharma contract manufacturing company in India, as unchecked sales can harm the reputation of manufacturers and lead to misuse of their products.
Striking a Balance Between Technology and Safety
The Indian online economy is expanding in e-pharmacies and fast commerce services. They are capable of increasing the availability medicines particularly in distant places. However, in the case of prescription drugs, safety should not suffer at the convenience of the user.
The government will need to find a balance — allowing technology to improve healthcare access while also ensuring that strong safeguards are in place to prevent misuse.
This could be done by:
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Creating clear, enforceable laws for online medicine sales.
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Setting up real-time verification systems.
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Requiring all online platforms to maintain the same records and checks as offline chemists.
Conclusion
The AIOCD’s demand for action against quick commerce sales of prescription drugs is a warning that cannot be ignored. If prescription medicines become as easy to order as groceries, the risks to public health — especially for young people — are huge.
With ghost prescriptions, lack of monitoring, and instant access to addictive drugs, the problem is already here. The only question is how quickly the government will act to control it.
Protecting public health must come first. In the world of healthcare, speed is valuable, but safety is essential.