Delhi High Court Bans Online Sale of Medicines Across India

The order directed the centre and the Delhi government to immediately implement it.

The PIL also trained guns at the government saying it failed in its responsibility to protect public health which is its Constitutional obligation under Article 21.

(Photo: Reuters)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 12 December, imposed a ban on the online sale of medicines by e-pharmacists across India, Times of India (TOI) reported.

The order was passed after a PIL was filed by Delhi-based dermatologist Zaheer Ahmed. The PIL said that lakhs of medicines were being sold online everyday without proper regulations.

The PIL also highlighted that online sale of medicines is not allowed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Pharmacy Act, 1948.

According to the PIL, three years ago in 2015 the Drug Controller General of India had directed all state drug controllers to restrain online sale without prescription TOI reported.

The PIL also trained guns at the government saying it failed in its responsibility to protect public health which is its Constitutional obligation under Article 21.

The plea also said unregulated sale of medicines online will lead to substandard drugs being sold, some of which have psychotrphic substances that can be misused for criminal activities.

The order passed by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao directed the centre and the Delhi government to immediately implement it.

(With inputs from The Times of India)