Thousands of pharmacies are preparing for a countrywide closure in protest of online medicine sales and significant discounts offered by e-pharmacy platforms, and patients worldwide may encounter disruptions in their normal medication regimes.
The protest, according to the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), aims to draw attention to the dangers that uncontrolled internet drug sales pose to patient safety.
According to the group, prescription pharmaceuticals were being provided without enough verification, making it easier to obtain antibiotics and other drugs that might lead to addiction. It cautioned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could be fueled by AI-generated false prescriptions and unregulated drug sales.
Additionally, the body challenged the continuation of Covid-era relaxations under G.S.R. 220(E), claiming that internet platforms were circumventing safeguards under drug rules by employing temporary provisions. It called for the repeal of G.S.R. 817(E) and G.S.R. 220(E), which are related to e-pharmacy activities.
The existence of neighbourhood pharmacies, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where local pharmacies continue to be the primary source of healthcare access, is being threatened by significant discounting by major internet platforms, according to retail pharmacists.
Nearly 5 crore individuals who depend on the pharmaceutical trade may be impacted, according to the group.
The issue is "not merely a matter of trade, but of patient safety," according to AIOCD president J.S. Shinde and general secretary Rajiv Singhal, who warned that if nothing is done by May 20, the agitation may get worse.
Chemist associations stated that throughout the shutdown, emergency medications will still be accessible in several locations.
Major platforms like Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, Netmeds, Apollo Pharmacy, and Zepto, which offer prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications with home delivery, are driving the growth of online pharmaceutical sales in India. These services usually run nationwide, offer convenience with quick delivery (often in 60 minutes), and mostly require a valid prescription upload.
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