Mumbai Medicine Survey: 71 Per Cent Consumers Say Chemists Never Or Rarely Refused Medicines Without Prescription

Mumbai, September 19, 2026: Mumbai’s medicine retail sector continues to face questions over prescription compliance, with 71 per cent of consumers surveyed saying their local chemists either never or rarely refused to sell medicines when they did not have a doctor’s prescription.

Prescription Compliance Concerns

The findings of a LocalCircles survey have emerged amid the government’s proposal to strengthen monitoring of medical stores through CCTV cameras to curb the sale of medicines without prescriptions.

Among 20,498 Mumbai respondents, 36 per cent said their chemist had never refused to sell medicines without a prescription during the past year, while 35 per cent said such refusal happened only rarely. In comparison, just 5 per cent said their chemist always refused to sell medicines without a prescription.

The survey covered 1.06 lakh consumers across 327 districts, including the 20,498 respondents from Mumbai. LocalCircles president Sachin Taparia said consumers were asked questions covering six aspects of medicine purchases, including prescription checks, delivery, pharmacists, billing and medicine quality.

Home Delivery Checks

Prescription verification during home delivery also emerged as an area of concern. Among 3,697 respondents, 18 per cent said their local chemist never asked for a doctor’s prescription when medicines were ordered or delivered. Another 40 per cent said prescriptions were checked only rarely.

Only 11 per cent said they had never received medicines without prescription verification.

Medicine Purchase Patterns

The survey found that local medical stores continue to account for a significant share of medicine purchases. Among the 20,498 Mumbai respondents, 57 per cent said they purchased medicines themselves or through another person from a local medical store.

Another 26 per cent ordered medicines from local chemists through phone or WhatsApp, while 17 per cent used e-pharmacy applications.

Pharmacist Access And Billing

The survey also highlighted concerns regarding access to qualified pharmacists. Of 3,012 respondents, only 10 per cent said they always received assistance from a qualified pharmacist, while 21 per cent said the person assisting them was not a qualified pharmacist.

Billing practices also showed gaps. Among 3,122 respondents, 76 per cent said they received a printed GST bill, while 8 per cent received only a slip or paper. Another 9 per cent said they received no bill.

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Concerns Over Medicine Quality

Medicine quality was another concern. Of 3,521 respondents, 2 per cent said they had received fake medicines several times and 4 per cent said this had happened once or twice.

Another 14 per cent reported receiving medicines they suspected were fake or which they found to be completely ineffective.

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