Heavy discounts, old prescriptions and 10-minute deliveries: Why thousands of pharmacies in Telangana are shutting down on May 20

A 34-year-old IT employee residing in Hyderabad’s Madhapur area uploads an old prescription on a medicine delivery app late at night and receives antibiotics and BP tablets at nearly 30% discount within minutes. A few kilometres away, a neighbourhood chemist in Panjagutta who has run his pharmacy for over three decades says he cannot afford to offer even a fraction of those prices. That growing clash between instant medicine delivery platforms and traditional pharmacies has now erupted into a nationwide call for a shutdown, with thousands of pharmacies across Telangana set to shut on Wednesday, (May 20, 2026).

The shutdown call was given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), raising concerns over unfair practices by online pharmacies and corporate medicine retail chains. In Telangana alone, around 45,000 pharmacies are expected to participate in the shutdown, with nearly 20,000 of them located in Hyderabad, according to T. Krishna Kumar, treasurer of the Telangana Chemists and Druggists Association (TCDA).

At the centre of the protest is the rapid rise of e-pharmacies and quick-commerce medicine delivery services, which pharmacists allege are operating with weak prescription checks, deep discounting practices and inadequate regulatory oversight.

The association has raised objections to G.S.R. 817(E), a draft notification issued by the Union government in 2018 proposing rules for the sale of medicines through e-pharmacies. “We also demand the withdrawal of G.S.R. 220(E), a temporary notification introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic that allowed medicines to be delivered to consumers under relaxed conditions to ensure continuity of access during lockdowns,” said Mr. Kumar.

In Hyderabad, medicine delivery apps became deeply integrated into urban healthcare habits after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of app-based services. Consumers now routinely compare medicine prices between neighbourhood pharmacies and online platforms before placing orders.

For many chemists, however, the rapid shift towards online delivery has triggered growing financial anxiety. “For 30 to 40 years we have been in this line, and we ourselves do not get such margins. If someone is offering medicines at such huge discounts, naturally people will question how that is possible,” said Neelesh Kanodia, a Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical distributor who runs Yash Agencies in Ameerpet.

Apart from the economic concerns, chemists are also framing the issue as one of patient safety and regulatory accountability. Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, physical pharmacies are required to function under licensing norms, pharmacist supervision and periodic inspections. Pharmacists argue that digital medicine delivery systems are not subjected to the same level of scrutiny in practice.

“I run a small pharmacy in Boduppal which caters to the needs of people residing in the area. Three years ago, I realised there was no pharmacy nearby and I saw both a business opportunity and the need for access to medicines. But with each year, the business is getting more difficult as customers are decreasing,” said Venkat, who runs Aryansh Medical Stores.

“I ask around and many people tell me that medicines are now being delivered in 10 minutes like groceries, often with discounts that small pharmacies simply cannot match,” he added.