India Takes New Measures to Protect And Regulate Pharmaceutical Drugs Online

Posted by Igor Bubis on September 20th, 2017

In recent news, given the growing dangers associated with the illegal online drug-trade market, government representatives in Mumbai, India have reached out to the Bombay High Court to request the consideration of a new, improved, cyber-monitoring registry for online drug sales.

Mostly, this system and “cyber-platform” would serve as a filter to prevent the distribution of online illegal or prescription-only drugs, and also of course curb the dangers associated with counterfeit medicines and the illnesses and deaths caused by each.

In many cases, it is not only the consumers that are harmed, but also the “reputation” of professionals, such as physicians, psychiatrists, or even chemists which names are behind said drugs.

In reality, it should be no surprise to the online community that the continued online ‘epidemic’ of online drug-trading is only growing. And, even for those that are only turning to the internet to get more “generic” or common drugs like Viagra, mood stabilizers, or anti-depressants will find themselves not just consuming a fake product, but also often ones that have harmful, unnatural ingredients.

There have been numerous research studies and analyses over the recent years which have demonstrated the severity of dangers associated with this online market trade - including deaths

In addition to India recognizing its current epidemic of the online (illegal) prescription drug market, it's also a well-known fact that a tremendous amount of online illegally obtained drugs (namely steroids) are often shipped from India.

This proposal, however, to set up an "E-Portal" of sorts, to regulate online prescription drug sales and prescriptions could improve both the quality of medicines in which consumers are taking - namely ingredients – as well as encouraging a more legitimate transaction of such - for example going through an accredited insurance agency.

In many cases, chemists around the world have found through testing these online "knock-off" pharmaceuticals that distributors might manufacturer such drugs with just 15% or less of the actual, standard ingredients while the remaining being dangerous "fillers," substances, and in some cases even deadly chemicals.

A closer look at the current illegal online trading market of drugs in India also brings attention back to the growing popularity of synthetic drugs, as well as other current trading illegal drug-trading platforms and markets. One example of this is the rather recent (now debunked) "Silk Road" in which both illegal and "prescription drugs" were sold or traded - among many other illegal products and services.

Requiring doctors, patients, and insurance companies to register information on an online platform (also monitored by law enforcement or inspectors) verifiably could be the solution for this current epidemic.

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