The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on March 26, 2020, allows the retail sale of drugs to the doorstep of consumers to meet the requirements of emergency arising due to pandemic COVID-19.
It is directed that in case any person holding a license in Form-20 (Licence to sell, stock or exhibit or offer for sale, or distribute drugs by retail other than those specified in Schedules C,C(1) and X) or Form-21 (Licence to sell, stock or exhibit or offer for sale, or distribute by retail drugs specified in Schedules C and C(1)excluding those specified in Sch. X) under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 to sell, stock or exhibit or offer for sale, or distribute drugs by retail, intends to sell any drug, by doorstep delivery of the drug, the licensee can sell such drugs subject to the condition that any such sale of a drug specified in Schedule H of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, shall be based on receipt of prescription physically or through e-mail and such sale of drugs shall further be subject to the following conditions:
(i)The licensee shall submit an e-mail ID for registration with the licensing authority if prescriptions are to be received through email.
(ii)The drugs shall be supplied at the doorstep of the patients located within the district where the licensee is located.
(iii)In case of chronic diseases, the prescription shall be dispensed only if it is presented to the licensee within 30 days of its issue and in acute cases, the prescription shall be dispensed only if it is presented to licensee within 7 days of its issue.
(iv)The bill or cash memo shall be sent by the return email and records of all such transactions shall be maintained by the licensee.
This order will come into force on the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
