Pharmacy strikes puts spotlight on online drug sales

Madurai: Consumers across Tamil Nadu may face difficulty buying medicines on Wednesday as around 40,000 retail pharmacies, including 2,500 in Madurai, are set to remain shut during a one-day strike called by the Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association. Retail pharmacists are protesting against e-pharmacies and home delivery of prescription medicines, alleging weak regulation and loss of business for neighbourhood drug stores.The state govt, meanwhile, said alternative arrangements have been made to avoid disruption in access to medicines. Health minister K Arun Raj said around 5,000 pharmacies and medical shops attached to hospitals would continue functioning across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.Pharmacists said the protest is part of a nationwide agitation called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, seeking changes in pharmacy distribution policies. A major point of opposition is central notification GSR 817(E), issued in Aug 2018 during the Covid-19 period, which proposed regulation of corporate e-pharmacy networks. Retail chemists are also opposing notification GSR 220(E) dated March 26, 2020, which allowed doorstep delivery of medicines under pandemic relaxations."The rules, introduced during the pandemic as temporary relief, have continued and affected businesses of shops which make daily sales of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000," said G Ganesh, president of the chemists and druggists association in Madurai.Following the strike call, the Tamil Nadu Drugs Control Administration directed assistant directors of drugs control and drugs inspectors across districts to monitor availability of essential and life-saving medicines and ensure that corporate pharmacies remain operational.The state drugs control administration has also activated district-level help desks to handle complaints related to artificial shortages or illegal closures. Around 69 drugs inspectors across districts, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem and Kanchipuram, have been assigned for field monitoring and emergency coordination during the shutdown.