Maharashtra: Chemist strike near total in city, suburbs

A day-long bandh called by All India Chemists Association (AICA) to protest the draft rules issued by the Centre for registration of online pharmacies was near total in Greater Mumbai. Members of the Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA), which has about 7,500 chemists in Greater Mumbai, sat on dharna at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Friday, shouting slogans and demanding a level playing field with online pharmacies.

Several chemist shops were closed in the rest of the state as well, although some were functioning normally in Konkan, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Sangli and Aurangabad. Maharashtra State Chemists and Druggists Association (MSCDA) president Jagannath Shinde told DNA, "'The bandh was 100 per cent across the state, barring a few in some districts. There are about 72,000 offline chemists in the state, although those attached to hospitals were excluded," he said, adding that the supply and distribution of medicines wasn't interrupted.

Shinde said that the association will decide on the future course of action in a month.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association president, Kailash Tandale, admitted that almost 95 per cent of chemists in Greater Mumbai were closed, although he added that several shops in neighbouring suburbs like Thane, Kalyan, Mira Road and Vasai-Virar were open. "Some online pharma portal also took advantage of the bandh, and offered discounts of up to 35 per cent," he said.

State food and drug administration commissioner Pallavi Darade said the FDA had made adequate arrangements for uninterrupted supply of medicines and patients weren't inconvenienced. FDA joint commissioner VT Paunikar, meanwhile, contradicted Shinde's claim, saying several chemists remained open in the Konkan region, comprising Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. He added that consumers did not find it difficult to procure medicines.