Maharashtra FDA Commissioner to chair online pharmacies sub-committee

Set up by the DCGI to assess the feasibility of online pharmacies, the sub-committee will monitor the action in the online space by players like Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon

Drugs Controller General of India under the supervision of the central government has recently formed a sub-committee for issues related to online pharmacies. The sub-committee will be headed by the Maharashtra FDA Head, Harshadeep Kamble to monitor the action of online pharmacies like Amazon, Flipkart, and Snapdeal, to quote a few names.

Incidentally, it was the Maharashtra FDA which took the lead in examining details of major online pharmacies such as Snapdeal, Flipkart and Amazon as well as issued showcause notices to them (as reported by PTI).

Citing reasons for rapid growth in the space, with more and more people using smartphones for convenience, the importance of online pharmacies can no longer be ignored. The decision was a deliberated move to conclude the 48th Drugs Consultative Committee meeting in Delhi.

As further reported by PTI

The sub-committee, which is chaired by Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Harshadeep Kamble, also includes other members like the Karnataka Drugs Controller along with drugs controllers of Delhi, Odisha as well as Eswara Reddy, the Joint Drugs Controller at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, he added.

A police case was also filed against Snapdeal by the Maharashtra FDA for selling prescribed drugs online.

However, in the wake of information technology advancements and related smartphone-based applications, the importance of moving with the times and an in-depth assessment of online pharmacy practices was felt, the official said.

With the massive development and growth of consumer goods as well as general commodities sold online, it was viewed that drugs are an essential and important item, he added.