Chemists in Andhra Pradesh shut down medical shops for one day on May 20, 2024 [1], to protest the rise of e-pharmacies.
The strike highlights a growing conflict between traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacists and digital health platforms over patient safety and regulatory oversight.
Affiliated with the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), the protesters targeted the dominance of online platforms [1]. The chemists said that e-pharmacies often sell antibiotics, habit-forming drugs, and pregnancy-termination kits without requiring a valid prescription [1], [2].
In Andhra Pradesh, the bandh was particularly visible in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati [1]. Shop owners lowered their shutters to signal their opposition to current central-government policies. Similar closures were reported in other regions, including Bihar and Chandigarh [2], [3].
The protesters are demanding the withdrawal of two specific central-government notifications [1]. These notifications permit the online sale and home delivery of medicines under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act [1], [2].
Industry representatives said that the lack of physical oversight in digital transactions increases the risk of medicine misuse. They said that the current regulatory framework fails to protect the public from the unauthorized distribution of restricted medications [1].
While the strike lasted only one day [1], it disrupted access to medications for patients and their families in several cities [2]. The AIOCD continues to push for a reversal of the government's stance on home delivery to ensure that pharmacists can personally verify prescriptions before dispensing drugs [1].
“Chemists in Andhra Pradesh shut down medical shops for one day on May 20, 2024.”
This dispute reflects a broader global tension between traditional healthcare retail and the digital transformation of medicine. By targeting the Drugs and Cosmetics Act notifications, the AIOCD is attempting to maintain the pharmacist's role as a critical gatekeeper in the medical supply chain to prevent the unregulated sale of high-risk pharmaceuticals.
