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Lucknow wholesale medicine market traders not to take winter break
All the 850 wholesale medicine shops in Aminabad will remain open, unlike previous years when we enjoyed winter vacation between December 29 and January 2
To cope with increasing pressure from online pharmacies, wholesale chemists in the state capital have decided to forego their annual winter vacations from December 29 to January 2.
“All the 850 wholesale medicine shops in Aminabad will remain open, unlike previous years when we enjoyed winter vacation between December 29 and January 2,” said Mayank Rastogi, spokesperson for the Lucknow Chemist Association (LCA).
Rastogi cited competition with the online pharmacies that are not availing any holiday as a reason for doing away with winter vacations.
“The online pharmacies are a major risk as they do not follow standards while delivery. None of the medicine to be supplied under cold chain are provided with the same (cold chain),” said Suresh Kumar, president LCA.
“Many native of Lucknow working in metros such as Bangluru, Chennai or in other countries come for winter vacation and purchase stock of medicine, with long expiry, for up to six months or even more for their parents. If shops remain close, they face trouble,” said Harish Shah, general secretary LCA.
“Four-day closure was a risk for patients as supply of medicine used to get hampered not just in Lucknow but in neighbouring districts as well because retailers from many districts including Bahraich, Basti, Barabanki, Hardoi, Unnao and Gonda come to Lucknow for medicine, which will not be the case now. Now as all shops will remain open there will be not issue of stock with retailers in many districts,” said Rastogi.
Another major reason for doing away with the winter vacation is lack of coordination between whole sellers. About 350 wholesale medicine shops have come up on Dewa Road, Transport Nagar, and in Buddheshwar and those traders are not unanimous on winter vacation.
“It will now be wise to allow some shops to open and others to keep shut. This will shift customers out from Aminabad,” said a wholesale medicine store owner.
