Bengaluru: MedPlusMart.com, which describes itself as an “online gateway to your favourite medical and general store” is an online pharmacy. Its a new initiative in the etail space, but conventional pharmacies are up in arms.

The chemists’ association of Bengaluru in a letter to the Karnataka State Drugs Controller has accused the portal of selling medicines without prescriptions. In turn the the drugs controller inspected several MedPlus outlets in the city. “Medicines are not commodities like pizza to click, pick, choose and save. They have to be supplied to the customer at the premises on original prescriptions by registered medical practitioners, specifying the brand. In case the prescribed brand is not available, it has to be informed to the prescriber for another brand and supplied as per his/her prescription.

MedPlus Health Service Ltd is not assigned by the government to guide the customer to select other brands, which is violative of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and rule 45,” say the office-bearers of the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association. However, MedPlus CEO Dr Madhukar Gangadi told a local daily that the portal only facilitates customers with regard to the availability of medicines wanted by them at MedPlus outlets, closer to their address. “We are not a traditional online service. And we comply with the rule book. Only when the drug prescribed in not available, the portal suggests to the customer to choose a medicine with the same content but of a different brand,” Dr Gangadi said.

“Selling medicines online is a violation of the rule book. We’ve been conducting inspections at MedPlus outlets, like inspections at any other chemist shop. As of now, only this much detail can be revealed,” Raghuram Bhandary, drugs controller said. Earlier licences of three such etailers were cancelled for violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940