Chandigarh/Hoshiarpur, May 20
Chemists in several parts of Punjab kept their shops closed on Wednesday as part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists, protesting alleged irregular practices and heavy discounting by e-pharmacy platforms.
Medical stores remained shut in districts including Amritsar, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Hoshiarpur as part of the coordinated shutdown against what chemists described as issues in the online medicine trade and policies affecting small traders.
According to District Chemists Association president and Punjab Chemists Association spokesperson Raman Kapoor, around 1,300 chemists in Hoshiarpur observed the strike from midnight, resulting in a complete shutdown of both retail and wholesale medicine markets in the district.
Kapoor said the strike received support from the Punjab unit of the Indian Medical Association and the All India Federation of Medical Representatives Associations.
He alleged that under the guise of online trade, concerns have emerged over the sale of spurious and habit forming drugs, and said e-pharmacy companies were functioning in what he termed an illegal and unregulated manner.
He further said that medicines, as per norms, should be dispensed only against valid prescriptions and under the supervision of a pharmacist or registered medical practitioner. However, he claimed that online platforms are delivering medicines directly to consumers through courier services, raising serious concerns.
Kapoor also said that heavy discounts offered by large e-pharmacy platforms were adversely impacting the livelihood of small chemists and contributing to an outflow of money from the country.
He added that a memorandum outlining their concerns will be submitted to the deputy commissioner and will be addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Officials said the strike witnessed near total participation across the district, reflecting widespread concern among chemists over the growing role of online pharmaceutical platforms.
