Government of India on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that it will issue final notification on online pharmacy by December. The high court has therefore terminated proceedings in the public interest litigation filed by Mayuri Patil. The Centre on August 28, 2018 had released draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies with an aim to regulate online sale of medicines across India and provide patients accessibility to genuine drugs from authentic online portals. The Centre had sought suggestions and objections from various stakeholders. However, the Centre's move was caught in the legal battle as various organisations representing offline druggists, chemists and pharmacists filed a slew of petitions in various high courts. The legal counsel appearing on the Centre's behalf told the high court yesterday that ''Considering the suggestions and objections to the draft notification issued on August 28, 2018, the final notification is likely to be issued within four months from today.'' Regulating sale The Centre on August 28, 2018 had released draft rules on sale of drugs by e-pharmacies with an aim to regulate online sale of medicines across India and provide patients accessibility to genuine drugs from authentic online portals. The draft rules on "sale of drugs by online pharmacy (e-pharmacy)" stated that no person will distribute or sell, stock, exhibit or offer for sale of drugs through online pharmacy portal unless registered. "Any person who intends to conduct business of online pharmacy shall apply for the grant of registration to the Central Licensing Authority in Form 18AA through the online portal of the Central Government," the draft notification said. Further, the application of registration of online pharmacy will have to be accompanied by a sum of Rs 50,000 while asserting that an e-pharmacy registration holder will have to comply with provisions of Information Technology Act, 2000. However, All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) president Jagannath Shinde told DNA,'' The Centre needs to first share the authenticated e prescription with all stakeholders before issuing the final notification. The demand was made at the meeting with the government held in June but it response is still awaited.'' He informed that the AIOCD was fighting the case in Delhi and Chennai high courts against the draft notification. The Centre in the draft notification has envisaged that the details of patient will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed to any person other than the central government or the state government concerned.

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