1.24 million pharmacists join shutdown on May 20, drug supply may be hit

New Delhi: Patients across the country may face disruption in routine medicine purchases on May 20 as over 1.24 crore pharmacists prepare for a nationwide shutdown of medicine sales and heavy discounts on e-pharmacy platforms.The All India Organization of Chemists and Pharmacists (AIOCD) said the protest was aimed at highlighting the risks to patient safety posed by unregulated online sales of medicines. The association claims medicines are being delivered without proper verification, leading to reuse of prescriptions and easier access to antibiotics and addictive drugs. It warned that artificial intelligence-generated fake prescriptions and uncontrolled sales of medicines could exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (AMR).The agency also opposed the continued relaxation of COVID-19 regulations under GSR 220(E), claiming that digital platforms were using temporary provisions to bypass the safeguards of the drug regulations. It calls for withdrawal of GSR 220(E) and GSR 817(E) related to e-pharmacy operations.Retail pharmacists say deep discounts from large online platforms are threatening the survival of neighborhood pharmacies, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where local pharmacies remain the first point of access to care. The association claims that nearly 50 million people who rely on the pharmaceutical trade could be affected.AIOCD chairman JS Shinde and general secretary Rajiv Singhal said the issue was “not just a trade issue but a patient safety issue” and warned that if action was not taken before May 20, the unrest could intensify.The Association of Chemists said emergency medicines would continue to be available in some areas during the lockdown.