All member states of the Indian Group of Chemists and Pharmacists (AIOCD) will shut medical outlets on Might 20 to protest in opposition to unlawful on-line sale of medicines. |Picture courtesy of PTI
Greater than 1.5 million chemists and pharmacists throughout the nation will shut their pharmacies on Might 20 to protest unlawful on-line gross sales of medicines and “unprofessional competitors” by firms, the All India Chemists and Pharmacists Group stated on Monday (Might 18, 2026).
At a press convention in Thane, AIOCD chairman and former MLC Jagannath Shinde stated bandhs throughout the nation have been known as to demand withdrawal of notifications issued in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that allegedly enabled misuse of on-line drug gross sales.
“Medical outlets connected to hospitals will stay open in the course of the bandh interval and emergency medical providers is not going to be disrupted,” he asserted.
Shinde stated on-line gross sales are resulting in the distribution of counterfeit medicines, antibiotics and non-prescription medicines, posing a critical menace to public well being, particularly younger individuals.
“On-line gross sales of medicines have turn out to be a hazard to the nation and should be checked on precedence. Furthermore, deep reductions supplied by on-line firms have turned out to be a loss of life omen for small chemists and retailers,” he asserted.
Shinde identified that the Middle had made particular exemptions to make sure dwelling supply of medicines in the course of the coronavirus pandemic, however the provisions continued although the pandemic ended a number of years in the past.
He added that on-line firms have been exploiting these relaxations to compete unfairly by means of reductions of 20 to 50 p.c.
The press convention was attended by Vilas Joshi, president of Thane Chemists and Pharmacists Affiliation, and different executives.
