Prescription Practices in Mumbai: Survey Reveals Lax Checks and Rising Enforcement

When you stroll into a neighbourhood chemist in Mumbai, it’s not unusual to walk out with a pack of pills without ever flashing a doctor’s prescription. A fresh LocalCircles survey, which gathered over 20,000 responses, says 71% of city shoppers say the pharmacist either never or only very rarely asks for a prescription – a figure that sits above the 64% national average.

The poll, conducted among 3,697 respondents about their in‑store experiences, found that 36% said the chemist never refused to sell medication without a prescription, while another 35% added that such refusals were a rarity. Only a small slice – 9% – recalled being denied most of the time, and just 5% said they were always turned away.

Even the newer trend of home delivery doesn’t seem to change the story. Out of 3,122 people who ordered medicines to their doorstep, 18% said the seller never asked for a prescription, and 40% said this happened only very occasionally. In contrast, a mere 23% said a prescription was usually required during ordering or delivery.

What’s perhaps more striking is the role of qualified pharmacists. Only 28% of respondents felt they were consistently assisted by a certified pharmacist, while a concerning 21% said the person helping them wasn’t a qualified pharmacist at all.

Yet, despite this laid‑back approach at the retail level, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has been anything but relaxed. In the past three months the agency has taken action against 880 drug‑licensees – a crackdown that underscores the state’s intent to enforce stricter controls over prescription medicines.

Adding to the pressure, the central government has floated a proposal to make CCTV surveillance mandatory in all medical stores that dispense prescription drugs. If implemented, this could dramatically shift the current dynamics, making it harder for shops to hand out medicines without proper checks.

For now, local chemists remain the go‑to source for most Mumbai residents. The survey showed that 57% of 3,012 participants either visited a nearby pharmacy themselves or sent a family member, while 26% preferred ordering over the phone or via WhatsApp for home delivery.

All in all, the picture is mixed: consumers enjoy easy access to medicines, but regulators are stepping up their game, hoping to strike a balance between convenience and safety.