More than 18,000 retail pharmacies in Jharkhand remained closed on Wednesday after a call of a nationwide strike to protest against the Central move to regularise online sale of medicines.
All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) had called for a 24-hour strike in the wake of the Central Drugs Safety Control Organization establishing a panel of experts tasked with scrutinizing trends in online sale.
Medical shops located inside hospitals and private nursing homes however, remained open for emergency purposes.
“The strike was 100 per cent successful with 18,000 medical shops in all 24 districts in Jharkhand remaining closed with the cooperation of every one, right from the distributors, CNF holders as well as the common people,” said Jharkhand Chemist and Druggist Association (JCDA) General Secretary Amar Kumar Sinha.
He however maintained that proper arrangements had been made to deal with any kind of emergency and medical shops in hospitals and private nursing homes had been alerted for any kind of exigency, he said.
“We did not want to put the common man into trouble and hence an alternate arrangement had been done for them,” said Sinha.
Meanwhile, people had to rely on hospitals and private nursing homes in the city on Wednesday even for purchasing some of the regular medicines.
JCDA General Secretary, rationalizing their move added that the Government said that the it (Govt) has failed to do anything regarding the illegal online pharmacy business in India which must be put to an end as it only require a copy of a prescription against which drugs could be easily obtained.
“But according to the Rule 64 of drug and cosmetics act – 1940, no any scheduled drug could be sold without looking at the original prescription, but surprisingly there is no any such law for online purchasing of drugs,” said Sinha.
The Association, according to Sinha is against the online sale of medicines as it completely violates the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. “Any such move may put the life of many in danger as it will pump in even some of scheduled drugs into the market, which may prove to be fatal if consumed in large quantities,” he said.
“Section 64 of the Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1940 clearly mentions that one can purchase medicines after showing the doctor’s prescription from the medicine store or pharmacist while Section 65 (B) of the Act says that prescription should carry the patient’s name and address,” asserted Sinha, also adding that such rules cannot be followed in case of online trading of medicine.