PATHANKOT: On the call of All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), the chemists have decided to observe a complete shutdown on October 14 against the proposed e-pharmacies in the country. The chemists have strongly opposed this move, which they claim would not only pose high risk to the patients, but would also hit on their livelihood.
Rajesh Mahajan, district president, Pathankot Wholesale Chemists Association, told HT that some companies have approached the Union government to sell medicines online on the lines of some famous e-commerce websites like Amazon and Snapdeal and the Centre was mulling on those proposals.
He said as medicines should be sold only after the prescription of a registered medical practitioner as per the Drug Act, online selling would harm the health of the people as they might order for wrong medicine.
He said around eight lakh chemists were earning their livelihood through this trade and the online selling would hit them hard, which the chemists would not tolerate. “We had met all MPs earlier and they had agreed to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha. But it seems, it was just lip service on their part. We are ready to oppose this move of the government,” he added.
“If the government goes ahead with this move, we would go on indefinite strike,” he said, adding that as patients were struggling to get some medicines like Alprazolam, Pentazocine, which have been banned by drug department and are necessary to treat emergencies, they urge the government to make these drugs available through civil hospitals, as patients could be seen striving for these drugs.
{{/usCountry}}“If the government goes ahead with this move, we would go on indefinite strike,” he said, adding that as patients were struggling to get some medicines like Alprazolam, Pentazocine, which have been banned by drug department and are necessary to treat emergencies, they urge the government to make these drugs available through civil hospitals, as patients could be seen striving for these drugs.
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