Mumbai: The rapid expansion of online pharmacies, driven by deep discounts and doorstep delivery, is pushing thousands of traditional chemists in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) into a severe business crisis, prompting a nationwide protest call by retail druggists on May 20. Retail chemists claim that aggressive pricing by corporate-backed e-pharmacy platforms, coupled with weak regulation of prescription drug sales, is eroding their business and raising concerns over patient safety, fake medicines and misuse of sensitive medical data.
With more than 200 online pharmacy players operating across the country, consumers are increasingly shifting to digital purchases due to convenience and lower prices. Retail pharmacists say this trend has sharply reduced footfalls at neighbourhood medical stores and squeezed already thin profit margins.
There are around 7,000 registered pharmacies in the MMR region, many of which have reported a substantial drop in customer visits and sales over the past few years. Ajay Joshi, organising secretary of the Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), alleged that corporate-backed e-pharmacy companies are selling medicines at rates lower than the purchase cost incurred by local retailers.
“They are selling medicines at a loss to wipe out retailers and make profits in the future,” Joshi claimed, adding that online pharmacies have already captured nearly 10 percent of the market. He also raised concerns over the online sale of prescription medicines. “Schedule H, H1 and X drugs can only be sold with a valid prescription from a registered medical practitioner. But many platforms are selling them after just a telephonic consultation. Who verifies whether the caller is a qualified doctor or merely a telecaller?” he asked.
Anil Navandar, general secretary of the Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA), alleged that the growth of online pharmacies has increased the risk of spurious medicines entering the market. “Medicines for conditions such as depression and sleeping disorders are being sold online without proper prescriptions,” Navandar alleged. Joshi said that while consumers benefit from lower prices, several unregulated online platforms are allegedly dumping spurious and nearexpiry medicines into the market.
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