Maharashtra to send delegation to resolve issues as chemists threaten indefinite strike

Mumbai city news: More than 8 lakh chemists in the country went on a 24-hour strike from midnight on Tuesday.

A day after chemist shops in the state downed their shutters over the Centre’s move to regulate sale of drugs, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday assured it would address their grievances by sending a delegation to Delhi.

A closed chemist shop in Thane on Tuesday. (Praful Gangurde)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) minister Girish Bapat said, “We are aware of the problems faced by chemists, but they are out of the state government’s purview. Hence, we are ready to take a delegation comprising representatives from chemists’ organisations to the Centre to resolve the issue.”

Chemists across the country went on a 24-hour strike on Tuesday to protest online sale of medicines and the Goods and Services Tax.

Chemists claimed that Centre’s e-portal scheme would create hassle and would be mired in logistical problems.

With the recent Medical Council of India (MCI) circular asking doctors to prescribe generic medicines, chemists said these guidelines would clash with e-portal scheme.

Bapat also said the chemists would have to strictly follow orders of the FDA over quantity of medicines prescribed by doctors. “They have to follow the prescription given by the doctors over quantity of medicines and cannot ask people to buy medicines in quantity they want to. Those who are not following it will have to face action,” he added.

Chemists threaten indefinite strike

Chemist associations on Tuesday warned that they may call an indefinite strike if their demands are not met. More than 8 lakh chemists in the country went on a 24-hour strike from mid-night on Tuesday.

“The strike was successful. We received a call from the Union health and welfare ministry at 7pm on Monday, asking us to call it off, but it was too late by then. We have informed the authorities to organise a meeting in June and discuss the issues or face an indefinite strike,” said Jagannath Shinde, president of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

However no major shortage problems were reported in the city or state since pharmacies outside the major hospitals were functioning. In the state, two associations weren’t a part of the strike.