AIOCD calls one-day strike May 20 over online pharmacy rules

A major national association representing retail chemists has called for a one-day strike on May 20, citing concerns over the regulation of online pharmacies and their impact on traditional businesses. The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which claims to represent over a million pharmacists, announced the protest to demand government action.

The association's core demand is the withdrawal of two government notifications. It argues that GSR 817E, a draft notification from eight years ago intended to regulate e-pharmacies, has never been finalized, leaving online medicine sales in a legal grey area. The second notification, GSR 220E, was an emergency measure introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to facilitate home delivery of medicines. The chemists contend this provision is now being exploited as a loophole, allowing online platforms to operate without a comprehensive regulatory framework.

AIOCD officials allege that the current situation has led to patient safety risks, including the dispensing of medicines against fake or improperly verified prescriptions. They also claim that deep discounting and predatory pricing by large online platforms constitute...