More than 12 lakh chemists and druggists in India will keep their medical stores shut today (May 20) as part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists. According to the chemists’ body, this protest is against e-pharmacies, which they claim operate under weak regulation and are hurting small chemists. But will this affect the supply of medicines?
If you take medicines daily, read on as this could affect you.
Today (May 20), the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has called for a nationwide strike in the country. According to the body, more than 12 lakh chemists across the country will go on strike today (May 20) to protest online medical sales and deep discounting by e-pharmacy platforms, which they claim is “proving to be a death knell for small chemists and retailers”.
Here’s what consumers should know before they step out to buy their medicines.
Why are the chemists going on strike on May 20?
>> The AIOCD, which represents chemists, pharmacists and distributors across the country, has called for a
one-day shutdown of medical stores and wholesale drug supply chains.
>> Addressing a press conference, AIOCD president Jagannath Shinde said the nationwide bandh has been called to demand withdrawal of notifications — GSR 220(E) and GSR 817(E) — issued during the Covid-19 pandemic.
>> The AIOCD argues that these provisions have effectively allowed online pharmacies to function in a legal grey area, without a comprehensive regulatory framework governing how they verify prescriptions, dispense medicines and are held accountable for violations.
>> The GSR 817(E) notification was issued around eight years ago to create a regulatory framework for e-pharmacies in India. However, since its introduction, it hasn’t been formally notified or withdrawn. According to the chemists, what this means is that e-pharmacies have been allowed to function without a clear legal structure.
>> The second demand that the chemists’ body has is the withdrawal of GSR 220(E). Introduced amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it allowed registered pharmacies to deliver medicines to consumers’ doorsteps. They argue that the notification is being misused by e-pharmacies to continue operations without a specific framework.
>> Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of AIOCD, has stated that while the chemists understand that e-pharmacies are the future, they should also be regulated as rigorously as the brick-and-mortar ones.
> The AIOCD president also alleged that “deep discounts offered by online companies were proving to be a death knell for small chemists and retailers” while adding that such companies were misusing relaxations through deep discounts and unfair competition.
Will all chemists across the country remain shut?
>> No. While the strike may affect retail pharmacies, it won’t have a nationwide impact.
>> According to government sources, retail pharmacy associations from at least 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, have distanced themselves from the strike call, citing “public interest” and the need to ensure uninterrupted access to essential medicines.
>> “Public health and patient access to medicines remain paramount. Constructive dialogue remains the preferred mechanism for addressing sectoral concerns while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services,” a source told NDTV.
>> The AIOCD also noted that some pharmacies such as those attached to hospitals will remain open. Moreover, emergency medical stores and government hospital medicine counters will also be operational.
>> However, standalone neighbourhood chemist shops and private pharmacies will remain shut across the nation.
How has the government responded to the strike?
>> The Centre has said that the strike is unlikely to disrupt medicine availability.
>> Earlier, several AIOCD members met officials of the central drug regulator, raising concerns from brick-and-mortar pharmacies over online medicine sales. The officials assured them that the issues raised by pharmacy associations are under review.
Will you get medicines tomorrow?
>> There is a possibility of temporary disruption in medicine availability if participation is widespread.
>> Patients with conditions such as blood pressure, thyroid conditions, heart disease, asthma or other chronic illnesses have also been advised not to wait until the last minute.
>> According to a News18 report, even where pharmacies remain open, there could be delays, shorter operating hours or stock issues if wholesale supply slows temporarily.
With inputs from agencies
First Published:
May 19, 2026, 20:01 IST
End of Article
