Now Reading: Delhi chemists told to drop misleading 60-80% discount ads
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Delhi chemists told to drop misleading 60-80% discount ads
The Delhi drug control department has issued an advisory warning chemists and medical stores against advertising steep discounts of 60-80% on medicines, calling such claims unrealistic, exaggerated and misleading. The advisory, prompted…
The Delhi drug control department has issued an advisory warning chemists and medical stores against advertising steep discounts of 60-80% on medicines, calling such claims unrealistic, exaggerated and misleading. The advisory, prompted by complaints about promotional boards and banners, asks retailers to ensure any discount offered is genuine, transparent and verifiable through sale bills and purchase records.
While selling medicines below the maximum retail price (MRP) is permissible, the department said vague or exaggerated discount claims raise concerns about the genuineness of procurement sources. It cited a Kerala High Court order from June that upheld regulatory action against misleading discount boards. The department has directed chemist associations in Delhi to sensitise their members on the issue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The advisory targets a practice common in Delhi's retail pharmacy market, where deep discount boards are used to attract footfall, often without clear disclosure of the actual price or MRP. The Kerala High Court's June ruling cited in the order provides legal backing for such regulatory action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and the Drug Price Control Order, 2013. Chemists now face a choice: comply with the advisory or risk inspection and penal action by the drug control department, which can suspend or cancel licences for violations. The key test will be how strictly the department enforces the advisory, particularly against large chains that rely on discount advertising as a core marketing tool.
For a well-informed Indian reader, the background is that the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, empowers state drug controllers to regulate sale and distribution of medicines.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
