The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has announced a nationwide one-day strike on May 20, raising concerns over spurious medicines and the unchecked growth of online drug sales. Nearly 4,000 medical stores across the district are expected to remain closed, said association president Nitin Deshmukh (Dandage).
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, association secretary Vinod Lohade said online medicine sales have enabled easy access to abortion kits and drugs being misused for intoxication. He cited several illegal abortion rackets being exposed due to online availability and warned of rising substance abuse among youth, demanding an immediate ban on online medicine sales. Harish Kabra pointed out that while pharmaceutical companies offer retail chemists a profit margin of 16–20%, online platforms are giving discounts of 20–40%, putting around 12.5 lakh chemists nationwide at financial risk. Syed Ijan said AIOCD president Jagannath Shinde had sought appointments with union ministers and senior officials to submit a memorandum, but received no response prompting the strike call. Vinod Thombre was also present at the briefing.