No Medicines Tomorrow? Why Chemists Across India Are Going On Strike

Demanding regulatory oversight over online pharmacies, All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), on Monday, declared a nation-wide strike on May 20 affecting more than 15 lakh chemists and druggists.  

Jagannath Shinde, president of AIOCD in a press conference, called for withdrawal for two governmental notifications concerning online medical sale and drew attention to the “deep discounts offered by online companies (that) were proving to be a death knell for small chemists and retailers." The two notifications, herein, are GSR 220(E) and GSR 817(E). 

What’s In The Notifications?

GSR 817(E)- as a draft notification- is not enforced. It proposed registration of online pharmacies, norms for verifying prescriptions, and such safeguards including penalising provisions. GSR 220(E), conceived during the Covid crisis as an emergency measure, allows registered pharmacies to home-deliver medicines. 

Talking to the media, Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of AIOCD highlighted “regulatory lacunae left by the drug regulator” that have enabled online pharmacies to operate in what he termed “legal grey zone.” 

According to Crisil Ratings, online pharmacies comprise around 3-5 percent of the Indian market with the numbers in developed countries projected to be 22-25 percent.

What Is AIOCD Demanding ?

Reiterating the demands, Singhal said ”We understand that online pharmacies are here to stay, but they should be regulated as rigorously as the brick-and-mortar ones. This is the reason we have asked the government to withdraw the GSR 220 E and GSR 817 E notifications.”

AIOCD president further 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.

While officials from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) are reported to have met representatives from AIOCD, wherein they were assured of ‘review’. Singhal, referring to GSR 817(E) highlighted that “review has been going on for years.” 

How Are Patients Going to be Impacted ?

Even as he called for a nationwide strike, Shinde, said “Medical shops attached to hospitals would remain open during the bandh and emergency medicine services would not be disrupted."

Also, media reports claim that several Retail Pharmacy Associations have reviewed their stance on the strike with the central regulator highlighting the criticality of life-saving medicines, chronic therapies and emergency medicines for patients. 

Retail associations from West Bengal, Kerala, Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh have reportedly submitted written assurances on uninterrupted operations of the stores after the regulator assured review of the concerned regulatory framework .

How Are Physical Medical Stores Regulated In India?

Offline retail pharmaceutical stores, or the local medical shops, nationally are generally regulated through multiple legislations including bodies-CDSCO under the Ministry of Health along with National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority enforcing the Drugs (Price Control) Order 1995 mandating price control of listed drugs.

Also, Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 regulates the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs in India with Pharmacy Act, 1948 regulating the profession of Pharmacy in India.