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BDCDA demands action against Blupack and PillUp for unauthorized tampering of medicine strips
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Nandita Vijayasimha, Bengaluru
August 04 , 2025
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The Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association (BDCDA) has demanded immediate action against Blupack and PillUp, two health-tech start-ups engaged in unauthorized tampering and repacking of statutory medicine strips.
In a communication to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), BDCDA president B Thirunavukkarasu pointed out that such actions are in contravention to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Rules, threatening patient safety, undermining ethical pharmacy practices, and eroding confidence of the regulatory framework.
We wish to inform you that J S Shinde, president, All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD) has already taken up the issue of PillUp at the national level, lending collective concern to this matter, he added.
It is a major worry that by tampering statutory packaging, unlawfully repacking medicines, and disregarding essential drug stability and labelling norms, Blupack and PillUp not only put public health at risk but also tarnish India’s reputation as the Pharmacy of the World. These actions reflect a troubling disregard for the law of the land, undermining the very principles on which our healthcare system and regulatory framework stand, noted Thirunavukkarasu.
Highlighting the specific violations under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945, he said, Rule 96 & Rule 97 refers to wilful destruction or removal of statutory labels, batch numbers, expiry dates, MRP, and mandatory warnings, effectively stripping medicines of their legally required safeguards, and thereby endangering consumer safety.
Under Schedule P1, the violations refer to compromising the stability, potency, and therapeutic efficacy of medicines by exposing them to contamination and temperature variations through improper handling, storage, and repackaging practices.
Further carrying out repacking operations in unlicensed, non-compliant, and uncontrolled environments grossly violates the principles of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Storage Practices (GSP) mandated under the law.
Misrepresenting these unlawful and unethical acts as ‘tech-enabled innovations’ or ‘patient-friendly services,’ misleads consumers and erodes the credibility of India’s ethical pharmacy community, stated Thirunavukkarasu.
Apart from all these violations, the rampant sale of medicines through online platforms continues unchecked, lacking any legal authorisation or structured regulatory mechanism. There exists no notified legal framework under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, or the Rules, 1945, that authorises or governs the functioning of e-pharmacies. In the absence of such regulation, all ongoing online medicine sales are functioning in a zone of legal uncertainty with serious consequences in patient safety, prescription integrity, and the traceability of drugs across the supply chain, said Thirunavukkarasu.
“As an association that is against counterfeit medicines which we have aptly termed a ‘National Public Health Terrorism’, we cannot turn a blind eye to the alarming evidence presented by these tampered sachets. This persistent and brazen disregard for statutory requirements is a systemic failure. It reflects a serious dereliction of duty on the part of both central and state regulatory authorities, permitting unlawful practices to flourish unchecked,” he said.
“We feel compelled to express, that these recent developments have unfairly tarnished the image of India’s traditional, brick-and-mortar chemists and medical stores which have built the strongest bridge of trust from manufacturers to the public and forming the backbone of India's ethical pharma community. Despite their steadfast adherence to ethical standards, we are being wrongly portrayed as obstacles, while those violating the law are ironically being celebrated as innovators,” said Thirunavukkarasu.
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