NEW DELHI: Patients across the country may face disruption in routine medicine purchases on May 20 as more than 12.4 lakh chemists prepare for a nationwide shutdown against online medicine sales and deep discounting by e-pharmacy platforms.The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) said the protest is aimed at highlighting risks to patient safety from unregulated online sale of medicines. The association alleged that medicines were being delivered without proper verification, enabling repeated use of prescriptions and easier access to antibiotics and habit-forming drugs. It warned that AI-generated fake prescriptions and uncontrolled medicine sales could fuel antimicrobial resistance (AMR).The body also opposed continuation of Covid-era relaxations under G.S.R. 220(E), alleging digital platforms were using temporary provisions to bypass safeguards under drug regulations. It demanded withdrawal of both G.S.R. 220(E) and G.S.R. 817(E), linked to e-pharmacy operations.Retail pharmacists said deep discounting by large online platforms was threatening the survival of neighbourhood chemists, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where local pharmacies remain the first point of healthcare access. The association claimed nearly five crore people dependent on the pharmaceutical trade could be affected.AIOCD president J.S. Shinde and general secretary Rajiv Singhal said the issue was “not merely a matter of trade, but of patient safety”, warning that the agitation could intensify if no action was taken before May 20.Chemist associations said emergency medicines would continue to remain available in several areas during the shutdown.
