Telangana Cracks Down On Online Pharmacy Violations, Issues Notices To 41 Medical Shops

Telangana's Drugs Control Administration (DCA) has intensified its oversight of online medicine distribution networks, uncovering multiple regulatory violations during a statewide enforcement drive and issuing show-cause notices to 41 medical shops linked to online pharmacy operations.

As part of a special inspection campaign conducted on June 6, DCA officials examined 166 medical shops across the state to assess compliance with provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 , and related regulations governing the sale and delivery of medicines through online platforms.

According to the DCA, 159 of the inspected outlets were associated with online medicine delivery services, including licensed fulfilment centres and partner pharmacies operating on behalf of online pharmacy companies. Officials also inspected seven medical shops connected to business-to-business (B2B) digital marketplaces , including platforms such as IndiaMART.

The inspections revealed a range of compliance failures. Authorities found instances where pharmacies were unable to produce sales invoices or maintain proper billing records. Several establishments had not maintained mandatory registers for prescription medicines and Schedule H1 drugs, while others failed to provide purchase invoices for medicines stocked and sold.

Officials also detected cases in which prescription medicines were allegedly supplied without valid prescriptions issued by registered medical practitioners. In some outlets, medicines were reportedly being dispensed without the supervision of a registered pharmacist, a requirement under existing regulations. Deficiencies were also found in the maintenance and preservation of records related to medicine purchases and sales.

Following the findings, the DCA issued show-cause notices to 41 medical shops associated with online pharmacy services, seeking explanations for the alleged violations.

The regulatory authority emphasised that all licensed pharmacies, including those operating through online platforms or partnering with digital medicine delivery networks, are required to comply fully with statutory provisions governing the storage, sale and distribution of medicines.

The DCA warned that violations of drug regulatory norms would be dealt with strictly and reiterated that online pharmacy-linked businesses are subject to the same legal obligations and accountability standards as conventional brick-and-mortar medical stores. Authorities said continued monitoring and enforcement activities would be carried out to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance across the sector.