Mumbai: Patients across Mumbai woke up to confusion on Wednesday amid a nationwide strike call by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), with concerns growing over whether medicine shops across the city would remain shut.
While the protest has been backed by lakhs of chemists and druggists across India, a complete shutdown of pharmacies in Mumbai appears unlikely, with several state-level pharmacy associations reportedly distancing themselves from the bandh.
Why Is There A Nationwide Medicine Shop Strike Today?
The one-day strike has been called to protest against online medicine sales and deep discounting practices by e-pharmacy platforms, which traditional chemists say are hurting neighbourhood medical stores and creating risks for public health.
According to the AIOCD, the protest is aimed at opposing what it describes as 'unregulated' online sale of medicines through e-pharmacy companies. The organisation has particularly objected to two government notifications, GSR 220(E) and GSR 817(E), claiming that the rules created loopholes allowing online medicine platforms to operate without a fully defined legal framework.
AIOCD general secretary Rajiv Singhal has reportedly raised concerns over the alleged use of fake or incorrect prescriptions on online platforms and demanded stricter regulation of e-pharmacies, reported The Indian Express.
Traditional chemists have also argued that heavy discounting by large online medicine companies, often ranging between 20 and 50 per cent, has made it difficult for small independent pharmacies to compete.
Will Medicine Shops In Mumbai Remain Closed?
However, despite the nationwide strike call, not all medical stores in Mumbai are expected to remain closed. According to reports quoting government sources, pharmacy associations in at least 12 states and Union Territories, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal, have reportedly not fully backed the bandh.
As a result, several local chemist shops, especially larger chains and hospital-linked pharmacies, are expected to remain operational in Mumbai. Consumers may still witness partial disruption in certain areas, particularly among independent neighbourhood chemists and wholesale medicine distributors. Emergency and essential medical services are expected to continue functioning throughout the day.
These services are likely to remain operational in Mumbai despite the strike:
- Hospital-attached pharmacies
- Government hospital medicine counters
- Emergency medical stores
- Several 24x7 pharmacies
- Many Jan Aushadhi Kendras
Officials have also indicated that contingency measures are being discussed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of critical medicines and emergency drugs.
The protest highlights the growing conflict between traditional brick-and-mortar chemists and India’s rapidly expanding online medicine delivery sector, which saw major growth during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Retail chemists argue that continued doorstep medicine delivery without stronger oversight could lead to misuse of prescription medicines, antibiotics and controlled drugs.
