Chemist Body up against Swiggy-PharmEasy's 10-Minute Medicine Delivery Model, Seeks DCGI Intervention
New Delhi: The All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has voiced strong objections to a potential partnership between Swiggy Instamart and PharmEasy that aims to deliver medicines within 10 minutes through “dark stores.”
In a letter to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), AIOCD outlined several serious concerns, and said that this move is against the standards set under Indian law and can lead to many serious health and safety related threats.
AIOCD President J.S. Shinde and General Secretary Rajiv Singhal emphasized the urgent need for action to protect the health and well-being of Indian citizens. They warned that the ultra-fast delivery model might bypass critical regulatory safeguards, such as prescription checks and patient identification, potentially putting patient safety at risk.
"This partnership is likely to ignore important standards like proper prescription checking and patient identification, which may endanger the health of common citizens," AIOCD said.
The association further highlighted the broader public health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing concern in India. AIOCD warned that the "unregulated" operations of e-pharmacies like PharmEasy could undermine government efforts to control AMR, potentially worsening the issue by allowing unchecked antibiotic distribution.
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Additionally, AIOCD raised concerns about the reputational and legal risks associated with PharmEasy, given its history of regulatory scrutiny. AIOCD said that "such a partnership with PharmEasy, which itself is embroiled in several legal cases due to regulatory violations, can also increase legal and regulatory risks for Swiggy."
Another significant issue is the potential risk to medicine quality under a rapid delivery model, which could lead to expired or counterfeit products reaching consumers. AIOCD emphasized that ensuring high-quality, safe medicine distribution within such short timeframes would be challenging and likely fall short of industry standards.
"The ultra-fast delivery model may increase the possibility of expired or counterfeit medicines, which is harmful to patient safety. In such a model, it is not possible to follow the required quality standards," the association said.
Given the potential risks, AIOCD urged the government to thoroughly review the partnership and implement necessary measures to ensure safe and reliable healthcare services for Indian citizens. The organization added that it would continue to oppose any initiative that could risk public health and safety.
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