Maharashtra FDA Sends Notice To Amazon And Flipkart Over Alleged Selling Of Abortion Medicines

Mumbai: Maharashtra Food and Drug Authority (FDA) has issued notices to e-commerce companies Amazon and Flipkart. The case pertains to the allegation of selling abortion kits and pills online without a doctor’s prescription.

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The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 prohibits the online distribution of such medicines without any prescription, the statement said.

FDA sent notice to Amazon and Flipkart

A Pune-based drug dealer had complained to the FDA that abortion kits and pills were sold illegally and claimed that the online sale of abortion kits was happening without any restrictions. The officials checked 34 online websites to verify the complaint. In guise as customers, they made orders to online companies. Officials say that they accepted the order without asking for a doctor’s prescription.

Selling abortion medicine illegally

FDA officials, who posed as customers, placed two orders for abortion kits on Amazon’s website. In the first case, the supplier from Uttar Pradesh delivered the order while in the second case the supplier from Odisha sent the abortion kit without a doctor’s prescription. It was a similar case when ordered abortion kits from Flipkart. The website accepted orders for abortion medicine without a doctor’s prescription and also sent a kit delivery message. Based on this, the officials have started the investigation by sending a notice. Even before this case, the FDA had taken action against illegal abortion drugs in many places in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune.  

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