After a raid on the premises of snapdeal.com at Goregaon (west) in north Mumbai, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered the e-commerce major to “de-list” prescription drugs like Viagra tablets and Ascoril cough syrup offered for sale by it on its website.
Acting on “specific information” that the prescription drugs like Ascoril cough syrup and Viagra tablets were being sold through its website, a team of FDA officials carried out a search on the premises of snapdeal.com, Jasper Infotech Private ltd, 401, Coporate Area, D P Pirmal Road, Goregaon (west), on Thursday.
Subsequently, the FDA served a notice on the company to furnish details of the drugs offered for sale, distribution and exhibited for sale on its website. The FDA also asked snapdeal.com to furnish us details like persons involved, the medical stories, companies involved and their respective documents like agreements, chalans, invoices, payment details etc.
Giving the details of the raid conducted on snapdeal.com here on Friday, FDA Commissioner Dr Harshadeep Kamble said, “We asked the company to withdraw forthwith the sale of prescription drugs through their website. We also asked the company to de-list the prescription drugs from its website with immediate effect... The company agreed to withdraw the prescription drugs from its website. It also asked the Delhi office to execute its decision”.
The FDA Commissioner said said that as per section 18 (c) of Drugs and Cosmetics Act only licenced retailer could offer for the sale drugs and that on basis of prescription from the doctors.
“Such an online sale of drugs is not allowed under the Act. And also such kind of self medication may be harmful to the patients. Since Snapdeal like agencies certainly cannot act as doctors or pharmacists, I ordered the search of offices og Snapdeal and their godowns,” Kamble said.
Kamble said that he had asked his department officials to visit the office of flipkart and amazon to find out whether they were engaged such activities as well.
“Through such vigilant actions, we are trying to control the menace of internet based sale of drugs which could be harmful to the patients,” the FDA commissioner said.