CPI seeks legal guidance to regulate online sales of medicines

Communist Party of India (CPI) Andhra Pradesh unit secretary Gujjala Eswaraiah urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to formulate robust legal guidelines to regulate online sale of medicines.

In a statement submitted to the state government on Wednesday, Mr. Eswaraiah said the rapid growth of digital technology, telemedicine services and smartphone-based e-commerce has transformed healthcare delivery and made home delivery of medicines through e-pharmacy platforms increasingly affordable.

He argued that the retail chemists’ association’s opposition to Internet pharmacies was aimed more at protecting their monopoly and profit margins than protecting public health.

The CPI leader argued that online pharmacy platforms can give consumers, especially patients suffering from chronic diseases, access to branded drugs at lower prices through bulk buying and discounts.

He argued that many retail pharmacies promote high-margin off-brand drugs instead of prescribed brands, leading to financial exploitation of consumers.

Mr Eswaraiah further alleged that most retail pharmacies operated without qualified pharmacists and often dispensed medicines without valid prescriptions. “In contrast, online pharmacy systems operated under the digital supervision of registered pharmacists and ensured accountability through e-prescriptions, digital invoices and Aadhaar-linked pharmacist verification,” he said.

The CPI demanded that the government strengthen the Drug Control Administration and the State Pharmacy Council, introduce strict digital monitoring systems and allow qualified pharmacists to set up independent community pharmacy consultation clinics under the self-employment regime.

Published – 21 May 2026 0:22 IST