The government of Maharashtra on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court that a committee has been formed by the Central government to look into all aspects and frame a policy to regulate or ban the online sale of medicines.

Government pleader Priyabhushan Kakade also informed the court that the Maharashtra government has identified 86 websites, which are into online sale of medicines. He told the court that 44 of these 86 are foreign based websites and a court’s order would be required to ban or block the website and hence a list of these sites would be submitted before the court on the next date of hearing.

Advocate Kakade also told the court that out of the remaining 42 websites, only 9 are Maharashtra-based and action has already been taken against them and their licence cancelled. Many other websites are either bogus or not responding to orders.