New Delhi, August 19, 2025 — India’s fast-growing quick-commerce firms are racing to deliver medicines in 10 minutes. But the sprint has triggered a regulatory alarm. The All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD) has asked the Union government to curb the sale of prescription-only drugs without robust checks.
In a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 13, AIOCD flagged easy access to Schedule H medicines on instant-delivery apps and warned of “fake or fabricated” prescriptions being used to secure restricted drugs such as pregabalin. The body says medicines are not groceries and require verified prescriptions, pharmacist oversight, and secure handling—standards the dark-store model may not consistently provide.
Big Tech moves deeper into health
The flash-delivery contest has intensified. Zepto recently announced a 10-minute pharmacy play across metro areas. http://BlinkitBlinkit rolled out 10-minute deliveries from its dark-store network and began pilots for Rx-only items in Bengaluru—covering antibiotics, eye drops, antihistamines and dermatology products. It also piloted a 10-minute ambulance service in Gurugram. http://Swiggy InstamartSwiggy Instamart earlier tested “Instamart in minutes” with limited medicine SKUs via a partner.
However, industry lawyers note that e-pharmacies must meet legal requirements, not “best-effort” norms. India’s policy gap adds to the confusion.
The missing rulebook
India still lacks a final e-pharmacy regulation. Draft rules issued in 2018 were never notified. Platforms therefore operate under legacy frameworks—the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and the Pharmacy Act, 1948—which never envisaged online prescription verification or instant doorstep delivery.
Schedules carry clear obligations:
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Schedule H: prescription-only drugs.
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Schedule H1: tighter controls and mandatory record-keeping for select antibiotics and anti-epileptics.
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Schedule X: narcotic and psychotropic substances, with twin-prescription, special storage, and licence requirements.
Regulators worry that a rush to deliver could weaken checks around authentic e-prescriptions, doctor registration, record retention, and audit trails.
What the trade wants
AIOCD has urged the Centre and states to:
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Enforce e-Rx upload and real-time verification against the National Medical Register.
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Mandate live pharmacist supervision for Rx fulfillment.
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Bar delivery of Schedule H1/X drugs via 10-minute services.
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Audit dark stores for licences, storage, temperature logs, and returns.
Law firms echo those demands and add two more: unique prescription identifiers to stop reuse, and API-level integration with state drug controllers for automated checks.
Why this matters
India’s prescription drug market is large and sensitive. Even genuine patients can face harm if antibiotics or psychoactive drugs are dispensed without proper oversight. At the same time, quick-commerce can expand access for the elderly and the chronically ill—if platforms comply fully and transparently.
The road ahead
The Centre can settle the debate by notifying modern e-pharmacy rules that mandate: verified e-prescriptions, pharmacist sign-off, tamper-proof packaging, KYC-verified delivery, and full traceability. States can run joint inspections with drug controllers and police cyber cells to deter forged prescriptions. Platforms, for their part, must publish monthly compliance dashboards and enable patient grievance redressal inside the app.
Until a clear rulebook arrives, experts advise caution: stick to OTC products on instant rails; route Schedule H/H1 orders through verified, slower workflows.
