Pharmacy associations to skip strike, major medicine disruption unlikely

India’s drug regulatory authority is actively reviewing retail pharmacy concerns over e-pharmacy operations, people in the know told ET.

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists(AIOCD) representatives has called for a nationwide strike over grievances linked to the growing presence of e-pharmacies and the regulatory framework governing online drug sales.

However sources said that a meeting was held and the AIOCD was assured that the issues raised are under active consideration and that the regulatory framework is being examined to address legitimate concerns of retail pharmacy stakeholders.


They said that several retail pharmacy associations across the country have declined to participate in the strike. “The associations cited public interest and humanitarian responsibility toward patients particularly vulnerable groups dependent on regular access to life-saving medicines as key reasons for stepping back, with several expressing satisfaction over the regulator’s constructive response,” a source said.

However Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, asserted that the agitation will persist until the withdrawal of G.S.R. 220(E) and G.S.R. 817(E), and demanded strict Government intervention against predatory deep discounting by corporate-led online pharmacies.

Sources reiterated that public health and patient access to medicines remain paramount, and that constructive dialogue is the preferred mechanism for addressing sectoral concerns while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services for citizens across the country.