Draft Bill 2022 seeks to regulate e-pharmacies and medical devices

Centre also proposes to have an expert group on medical devices

The Union Health Ministry has released the draft ‘Drug, Medi­cal Devices, and Cosm­etics Bill-2022’ that seeks for the first time to regulate e-pharmacies.

The government also proposes to have a separate expert group on medical devices as well as set up medical device testing laboratories at the state and central levels. This would be similar to the network of drug testing laboratories in the country.

Moreover, the Bill also provides for penalties, including imprisonment, upon failing to pay compensation for death or injury during clinical trials, for both drugs and medical de­vices. The government has sought comments, objections, and suggestions on the