As All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has called for a nationwide strike against e-pharmacies on Thursday, around eight lakh pharmacies across India will remain closed on Friday. Government pharmacies and hospitals are exempted from the strike.
“We are totally against e-pharmacies. They are not even regulated. While Government regulates the prices of medicines, these portals give huge discounts to the patients.
Anyone, even a child can go and buy these medicines online,” said Sandeep Nangia, Organising Secretary, AIOCD.
Saying that the Government has no list of people buying medicines online, Rajiv Singhal, General Secretary, AIOCD said that the organization wants the Government to either shut these pharmacies or to bring an online Pharmacies Regulation Bill.
“The Government should crack down any online sale of medicines as it raises the risk of drug abuse.
Presently online pharmacy business is going illegally and Government authorities are not taking any action against it, hence, we have no alternative than to go on strike to protect health of general public,” he said.
Supporting the strike, around 8 lakh pharmacies across India including Apollo Pharmacies Limited will keep their shutters shut to mark the protest.
“We have got confirmation from around 8 lakh pharmacies from across the country that will remain shut tomorrow. Apollo has given us a written confirmation about the same,” Nangia said.
Confirming the strike, Satish Kumar, Incharge, Apollo Pharmacy Vasundhra Sector 4 said, “We will open the pharmacy in the morning for a while. We will be on duty for routine work but the shutter of our shop will remain closed tomorrow.” The staff will go off duty if someone comes and directs them to do so, he added.
Amidst this, all the Government pharmacies, hospitals and emergency medicine services will be exempted from the strike.
“We have not involved any hospitals or emergency medicine services in our strike. In fact, pharmacies in some private hospitals will also remain open,” said Sandeep Nangia.
The government pharmacies at AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital have confirmed that they will be open on Friday as usual.
“We are Government pharmacies. Until we get orders from the Government, we will remain open,” said Incharge of Amrit Pharmacy, Safdarjung Hospital. Pharmacies at other Government hospitals will also remain open.