New Delhi : Stakeholders from India’s digital healthcare ecosystem today called for a balanced regulatory framework to strengthen e-pharmacies, noting that technology-enabled medicine delivery is vital to bridging healthcare gaps across the country. Speakers at a webinar, moderated by noted senior journalist and columnist Anil Padmanabhan and organized by CUTS International on “Unlocking Healthcare Access: The Regulatory Path Ahead for E-Pharmacy,” emphasized that e-pharmacies and traditional chemists can complement each other, with digital platforms expanding reach and transparency while local pharmacies continue to provide trusted last-mile care.

Industry experts, entrepreneurs, and policy voices noted that e-pharmacies are already serving more than 15,000 pin codes, reaching patients in cities, towns and villages where physical pharmacies are scarce. They highlighted how technology has enabled robust prescription validation, drug authentication, and end-to-end traceability – measures often stronger than those available in the offline sector.

Addressing the audience, Bipul Chattopadhyay, Executive Director, CUTS International said, “The digital economy has significantly benefited consumers across almost all market segments, including healthcare. These gains go beyond pricing to include greater convenience, wider choice, and improved efficiency. E-pharmacies, for instance, are enhancing accessibility by offering 24/7 availability through apps and websites, doorstep delivery within 24 to 48 hours, remote consultations, and even timely reminders for refills. While risks exist with any form of digitalization, the overall consumer impact has been transformative.”

On the regulatory landscape for e-pharmacy, Nirupama Soundararajan Co-founder & CEO, Policy Consensus Centre, stated, “pharmacies cannot operate in an environment of regulatory arbitrage with something as sensitive as medicines, we simply cannot afford an oversight that prohibit players from selling online by following necessary guardrails. The number of consumers who have benefitted from online ordering of medicines would be very high and we need to create laws to ensure the same continues unabated.”

Regulatory Reforms for Growth

Panelists underlined that clear and progressive regulations are urgently needed to sustain innovation and reassure patients. They noted that sections of the offline industry have expressed concerns around patient safety, misuse of prescriptions, and the impact on traditional businesses.

On mitigating risks associated with pharmaceuticals while ensuring greater transparency and compliance, Leena Menghaney a lawyer with two decades of experience in Public Health, Pharmaceuticals & Access, said “E-pharmacies cannot be treated like any other form of e-commerce—regulation by the national drug authority and MoHFW is essential. Quality concerns persist and e-pharmacies are no exception. Storage practices such as temperature control and cold chain also remain poor in Indian pharmacies. Here, e-pharmacies, with their centralized warehouses, provide regulators an opportunity to enforce stronger and more uniform standards. But irrational use remains a risk with both offline and online markets.”

Coexistence with Traditional Chemists

The discussion also emphasized that e-pharmacies are not a replacement for local chemists but can complement them. Speakers highlighted examples of small pharmacies that expanded their reach nationwide by integrating with online platforms, using digital tools to maintain inventories, ensure storage compliance, and fulfill last-mile deliveries.

Speaking on the future of online and offline pharma, Murali Neelakantan, Principal Lawyer at amicus and an access to healthcare advocate, highlighted, “Just as we’ve seen in other sectors, where direct-to-consumer brands eventually embraced an omnichannel approach, pharmacies too will evolve in the same direction. We are likely to see multiple models coexisting, local retailers delivering certain products, branded chains like Apollo operating their own stores, marketplaces enabling wide distribution, and direct delivery for select categories.”

The session concluded with a call for regulatory clarity that protects patients while encouraging collaboration between online and offline channels. There was a consensus that going forward e-pharmacy platforms need to bestow more emphasis on protecting sensitive health data and adopt more robust and updated data security mechanisms. They called for defined prescription protocols and clarity on operating norms that will enable both patient safety and market growth. Stakeholders also agreed that embracing digital healthcare would reduce costs, increase transparency, and strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem, while resistance risks denying patients timely access to medicines.