The Delhi High Court on Thursday ordered a stay on the sale of drugs and prescribed medicines by online pharmacies, PTI reported. The court was hearing a petition that claimed that the illegal online sale of medicines would lead to challenges including a drug epidemic, drug abuse and misuse of habit forming and addictive drugs.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao passed the interim order on hearing a petition submitted by Dr Zaheer Ahmed. The court had earlier asked the Centre, the Delhi government, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and Pharmacy Council of India to reply to the petition.

The petition had said that online sale of drugs increases the risk of self-medication, sale of drugs without a prescription, as well as the sale of psychotropic substances, reported The Indian Express.

The court scheduled the next hearing for March 25.