Elders and others at receiving end as HC bans online medicine sale

New Delhi: Critically ill or old age persons are feeling the heat of High Court verdict in which the court has set a ban on the purchase of online medicines to curb the possibility of wording medications. When a large number of minors or people from uneducated rural background use the internet for the purchase of online medicines, can be victims of wrong medication. Unlike common items, drugs are highly potent and its misuse or abuse can have serious consequences on human health, not just for the one person consuming it but for humanity at large as some drugs can be addictive, habit-forming and harmful to the body, said an official.

A senior citizen said "I live alone and a patient of arthrities and its not possible to roam without any support, and these online pharmacy was a bit sigh of relief in buying the medicine but miscreant always takes the benefit of loopholes, so here its is. But, people like us are facing the heat after the High Court's verdict on it."

The court had earlier sought responses of the centre, Delhi government, Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Pharmacy Council of India on the petition. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on March 25 next year.

The petition filed by Zaheer Ahmed said the online illegal sale of medicines would lead to a drug epidemic, drug abuse and ill-usage of habit forming and addictive drugs.

Still lakhs of drugs are being sold on the internet every day, it said, adding that some of the drugs/medicines contain narcotic and psychotropic and some can cause antibiotic resistant-bacteria which is a threat not only to the patient but to the humanity at large.

"It is a matter of public knowledge that e-commerce websites have been caught on numerous occasions of selling fake products. Unlike consumer items, drugs are extremely potent substances and consuming wrong dose or fake medicine can have fatal consequences on the patient," it said.