Online pharmacy scam in Gujarat
The trade of counterfeit medicines is rapidly increasing on online pharmacies, and buyers need to exercise extreme caution, warn experts. Hemant Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA), Gujarat, has stated that tracing the source and destination of medicines sold online is often difficult. The online medicine market functions like a ‘cloud market’, which makes it easier for counterfeit drugs to infiltrate the system. Increasingly, lookalike or visually identical but poor-quality medicines are being sold.
In light of this, Koshia has warned that buying medicines online may not be a safe option. He emphasised that online sales often involve compromising on quality, posing serious risks to consumer safety.
Cybercriminals are now heavily involved in the counterfeit medicine trade, going so far as to register entirely fake pharmacies. These fraudulent platforms are difficult to identify, allowing cyber fraudsters to exploit the system and sell counterfeit drugs, thereby endangering public health.
The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has also raised concerns, warning that online platforms are being misused to distribute fake medicines. Some platforms allegedly issue prescriptions only after being prompted, raising further red flags.
Disturbing cases have emerged in which psychotropic substances—drugs that are strictly regulated—are being sold online using fake prescriptions. One such case involved a patient from Ahmedabad receiving such drugs based on a prescription issued by a so-called doctor from Hyderabad. These medicines are reportedly being misused for substance abuse.
There is also illegal online trade in restricted drugs. Medicines under Schedules H, H1, and X—which legally require a valid prescription—are frequently being sold without one.
The lure of heavy discounts often leads buyers into the trap of purchasing low-quality or counterfeit medicines. Online pharmacies typically promise cheaper prices and quick delivery, which attracts customers. However, many of these drugs are fake, with packaging so closely resembling that of original brands that it becomes difficult to distinguish the two. While major pharmaceutical companies may suspect that their products are being counterfeited, they are often reluctant to file complaints, fearing that doctors may stop prescribing their medicines. As a result, counterfeiters continue to operate with impunity.