The Central government told the Delhi High Court on Thursday that framing of rules to regulate e-pharmacies was under consideration and consultations were being held with all the stakeholders.
The Centre’s submission came during the hearing of a plea seeking contempt action against e-pharmacies for continuing to sell drugs online despite a High Court order staying such activity.
Seeking ban
The contempt plea was filed by Zaheer Ahmed who had earlier moved a petition seeking a ban on “illegal” sale of drugs online.
It sought contempt action against the Central government for allegedly not taking any action against the defaulting e-pharmacies.
‘Akin to Swiggy’
During the hearing, e-pharmacies said that they do not require a license for online sale of drugs and prescription medicines as they do not sell them, instead they are only delivering the medications akin to food-delivery app Swiggy.
After several of the e-pharmacy companies and the Centre sought time to file their response to the contempt plea, a Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar granted them time till September 24, the next date of hearing.
The High Court had earlier stayed the sale of drugs and prescription medicines by online pharmacies while hearing Mr. Ahmed’s plea.
The petition has said that the online illegal sale of medicines would lead to drug epidemic, drug abuse and misutilisation of habit forming and addictive drugs.
