Patients across the country are unlikely to face any disruption in access to medicines on Wednesday, with major pharmacy chains, hospital-linked medical stores, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and AMRIT Pharmacy outlets deciding to remain operational despite the nationwide shutdown call issued by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).
The development comes amid growing tensions between traditional chemist bodies and online pharmacy platforms over issues ranging from prescription verification to deep discounting. While the AIOCD has called for a one-day strike on May 20, several retail pharmacy associations have chosen to stay away after discussions with the national drug regulator, sources said on Tuesday.
According to sources, representatives of the AIOCD recently met the regulator and raised concerns regarding the functioning of e-pharmacy companies. During the meeting, they were assured that the issues highlighted by retail chemists were being examined and that the regulatory framework governing online medicine sales was under review.
The decision by many pharmacy groups to not participate in the bandh was also influenced by concerns over patient welfare. Sources pointed out that any large-scale disruption in medicine supply could severely affect patients dependent on life-saving drugs and regular treatments, especially senior citizens and vulnerable groups.
Why several pharmacy bodies are not backing the strike
Following the meeting with the regulator, multiple pharmacy associations expressed satisfaction with the response received and said the review process should be allowed to continue without affecting medicine access.
Associations from at least 12 states and Union Territories, including Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Ladakh, Karnataka, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand, have reportedly submitted written assurances confirming they will not join the shutdown.
This effectively means that a large section of retail chemist outlets is expected to function normally on Wednesday.
What is the AIOCD protesting against?
The AIOCD, which claims to represent more than 12.40 lakh chemists and drug distributors nationwide, has accused e-pharmacy platforms of operating in an unregulated manner and hurting traditional retailers through aggressive pricing strategies.
In its statement, the organisation alleged that online medicine platforms were exploiting regulatory relaxations to sell medicines without proper physical verification of prescriptions. It also warned against the repeated use of old prescriptions for purchasing drugs.
The body further raised concerns over the alleged rise of AI-generated fake prescriptions, claiming that it could lead to unchecked access to antibiotics and habit-forming medicines, worsening antimicrobial resistance in the country.
The AIOCD also criticised deep discounting practices by large corporate-backed e-pharmacy platforms, arguing that small independent chemists, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, were being pushed to the brink despite government-regulated profit margins under NPPA and DPCO norms.
AIOCD seeks rollback of pandemic-era relaxation
The organisation has also objected to the continuation of a temporary notification introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic on March 26, 2020.
According to the AIOCD, the relaxation weakens safeguards provided under Drug Rule 65 and allows digital platforms to bypass important compliance checks.
The trade body has demanded the withdrawal of both the temporary COVID-period notification G.S.R. 220(E) and the e-pharmacy framework notification G.S.R. 817(E). It has also urged the government to introduce a level-playing-field policy to curb predatory discounting and protect smaller chemist businesses.