NEW DELHI: All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists has written to PM Modi, flagging what it called a “grave threat to public health” arising from the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to generate fake medical prescriptions and procure restricted medicines. The move has come after TOI exposed how AI platforms can be used to create fabricated prescriptions to buy antibiotics, psychotropic drugs and other restricted medicines with minimal checks.
In its letter, the national body of chemists alleged that certain online platforms are accepting such documents, enabling the unlawful sale of opioids, Schedule H and Schedule X medicines and even banned drugs. It stated that AI-generated prescriptions, often carrying fabricated hospital names and details, are being used to bypass safeguards.
It argued that illegal and unregulated e-pharmacy platforms are operating under the cover of GSR 817(E) and GSR 220(E) notifications and are misusing these provisions as a loophole to justify online sale of medicines without effective prescription verification or accountability.The two notifications, issued under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, relate to the regulation of online sale and home delivery of medicines. The organisation said that on online platforms, it is “practically impossible” to differentiate between genuine prescriptions and AI-generated fake documents. In contrast, it said, offline chemists retain human oversight through physical verification, patient interaction and discretion to refuse dispensing when authenticity is doubtful. The absence of such safeguards online, it warned, poses a serious risk in the context of antimicrobial resistance and the misuse of psychotropic drugs.The organsiation urged the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to immediately withdraw GSR 817(E) and GSR 220(E), shut down illegal and unregulated e-pharmacy platforms by blocking their websites and digital payment gateways, prohibit the use of AI or any digital tool for generating medical prescriptions, and declare AI-generated prescriptions illegal and invalid nationwide. It also sought assurance that law-abiding offline chemists are not penalised for technological frauds and systemic failures beyond their control. Rajiv Singhal, the organisation’s general secretary said its intervention had been prompted by the regulatory vacuum highlighted in the TOI investigation. “The misuse of AI-generated prescriptions, coupled with unregulated online dispensing, can seriously compromise patient safety and undermine the integrity of India’s drug regulatory system. Strong and immediate regulatory action is essential,” Singhal said.The development has piled pressure on regulators to address emerging risks posed by a new technology in drug dispensing, even as the debate intensifies over oversight of e-pharmacies and digital health platforms.
