Karnataka Pharma Body Urges PhonePe to Withdraw 24×7 Medicine Delivery Service

Karnataka, September 9, 2025 - The Karnataka Pharma Retailers & Distributors Organization (KPRDO) has asked PhonePe to reconsider offering 24×7 medicine delivery via its PINCODE app, a hyperlocal quick-commerce platform offering 10-minute delivery across Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Pune. The service includes teleconsultation options for users without prescriptions, enabling access to over-the-counter and prescription medication around the clock.

KPRDO President C Jayaram and Secretary VV Kapparshettar warned that PhonePe’s entry into medicine delivery may conflict with established pharmacies that have supported PhonePe’s UPI services. They cautioned that the move could disrupt partnerships and prompt retail pharmacies to consider alternative digital or UPI payment platforms. The group also flagged the complex regulations governing online sale of medicines and referenced a Delhi High Court order (WP(C)11711/2018 & CM APPL 45307/2018) that imposed an interim injunction on online medicine sales.

Additionally, KPRDO raised concerns about medicine supply without proper prescriptions. They noted that converting non-prescription requests into prescriptions via teleconsultation risks misuse of antibiotics, habit-forming drugs, and Schedule H medications, potential contributors to antimicrobial resistance and other public health issues.

KPRDO concluded with a warning that if unaddressed, opposition to PhonePe’s medicine delivery model might spread nationwide, potentially impacting the app’s reputation and user base.

Public Health Aspect

Research highlights multiple public health risks tied to online medication sales. Rogue and illicit vendors often distribute counterfeit or substandard drugs, which may contain incorrect ingredients, improper dosage, or harmful contaminants all of which can cause treatment failure, toxicity, or severe harm. ^[1]

The growing trend of purchasing prescription medications online accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic has enabled easy consumer access but without proper medical oversight. Many online platforms dispense medications without valid prescriptions or physician supervision, raising the risk of self-medication, misuse, and inappropriate use of potent drugs, including antibiotics. This misuse contributes directly to the rise of antimicrobial resistance. ^[1]

The absence of regulatory compliance is another concern. Illicit online pharmacies often employ deceptive marketing, complete with fake certification seals or misleading claims making them difficult to identify as illegal and heightening patient vulnerability

Public health data corroborates these dangers. For example, drugs acquired from illegal online sources have been linked to ten times higher adverse event rates compared to legally dispensed medications, resulting in significant economic and health consequences.

References:

1. Jack E. Fincham, “Negative Consequences of the Widespread and Inappropriate Easy Access to Purchasing Prescription Medications on the Internet,” American Health & Drug Benefits 14, no. 1 (2021): 22–28, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8025924/.

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