The Delhi High Court has given a last chance to the Centre to frame policy regarding online sale of medicines in the country. Granting eight weeks for the Centre to frame the policies, the court noted that the issue has been lingering on for long and the government must expedite the process.
A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna cautioned that if the policies are not framed within the stipulated time period, the concerned Joint Secretary will have to be personally present in the court during the next hearing on March 4, 2024, reported PTI.
"This court is of the view that as more than five years have lapsed, the Union of India has had sufficient time to frame the policy. In the interest of justice, one last opportunity is granted to the Union of India to form the policy within eight weeks,” the court said.
"In the event the policy is not framed within the stipulated time period, the joint secretary dealing with the subject shall be personally present on the next date," the bench said.
Earlier, the high court had asked the Centre to file a status report on petitions seeking a ban on "illegal" sale of drugs online.
The court made the comments while hearing petitions seeking ban on such sale and challenging the draft rules published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to further amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.
The 2018 notification was challenged by petitioner body, South Chemists and Distributors Association represented by advocate Amit Gupta who said that the draft rules are being pushed through in "serious violation" of the law, ignoring the health hazards caused due to sale of medicines online without proper regulations.