Centre to launch national portal for online drug sale

Why in the News?

The government seeks to launch a national portal for online sale of medicines dur to concerns of over-the-counter sale of prescription drugs and data misuse.

This was on the background of the Ministry of Health sending show cause notice to 20 companies such as 1mg, Flipkart, Apollo, Pharm Easy, Amazon and Reliance Net meds that sells medicines online.

Need for a National portal for drug sale besides other e-pharm stores?

1. Concerns of data misuse
2. Lack of privacy of data
3. Drug cartels using doctors to authorise the prescriptions for patients never seen
4. Inability to keep track of the volume of drugs sold to one patient, especially in tier-2 & 3 cities
5. Lack of guarantee on the quality and safety of drugs
6. Inability to track possible adverse effects of drugs.
7. The offers given by online pharmacies of up to 20-25% discounts are leading to unfair competitive practices in the marked as flagged by the All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists 

National Portal for Online drug sale:

1. The portal shall be authentic and safe to use.
2. No sale of medicines will be processed without verification.
3. For patients to buy medicines, doctors will need to register on the online site to give online prescriptions.
4. The risks involved in the sale of Counterfeit medicines, addictive narcotics and national security concerns can be effectively addressed.
5. The model shall be based on zomato-swiggy model for medicine delivery, with delivery personnel collecting medicines from the medicine store and delivering them to customers.

About:

Online National Drugs licensing system (ONDLS) portal

1. The portal was developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in coordination with Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
2. A single window platform for online processing of various applications submitted by the applicants for issuance of manufacturing and sales licenses.
3. Established under The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.