Over eight lakh chemists across the country on Tuesday protested against the government’s stringent regulations on the sale of medicines and the squeeze on margins of retailers.
The strike had been called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).
Regulating supply
Under the Goods and Services Tax programme, the government has proposed setting up an e-platform to regulate the supply of quality drugs and curb anti-microbial resistance. Pharmacists have been asked to upload details on the sale of medicines and also pay a transaction fee towards the cost of running the portal.
Advice for hospitals
AIOCD president Jagannath Shinde claimed that the strike had received full support from its members and stores, excluding the medical shops which run from hospitals.
The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Authority had also asked chemist shops in Mumbai and Konkan regions to refrain from joining the strike and had advised private and government hospitals to stock up on medicines so that patients did not suffer.
The Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA) has said online pharmacy will only enable a transparent drug dispensing mechanism as the entire procedure will be tracked. “As an online company, we can work with the government on data and patient reforms,” IIPA president Prashant Tandon
