Bhubaneswar/ New Delhi, May 20: Chemist and druggist shops across India, including in Odisha, remained closed on Wednesday as part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD).

In Odisha, the strike was organized by its State Association, highlighting key demands such as banning online medicine sales, curbing deep discounts offered by corporate pharmacy chains, and preventing the circulation of spurious drugs. The 24-hour shutdown affected both wholesale and retail medicine outlets throughout the state.

In Manipur, protesters carried placards calling for the withdrawal of GSR 817(E), dated August 28, 2018, which relates to online medicine sales, and GSR 220(E), dated March 26, 2020, a pandemic-era notification allowing registered pharmacies to deliver medicines to consumers’ doorsteps. GSR 817(E), a draft notification introduced around eight years ago, aims to regulate e-pharmacies through mandatory registration, prescription verification, operational safeguards, and penalties for violations.

One local pharmacy owner explained the concerns driving the strike: “Our first demand is to stop online medicine sales. The second is to end deep discounts, and the third is to prevent spurious medicines. We cannot always verify the authenticity of medicines sold online, and some habit-forming or narcotic drugs are easily accessible through these platforms. In Manipur, physical prescription verification is mandatory, but online platforms bypass these safeguards.”

He added that medicines are sometimes entering the state via cargo shipments and stressed the importance of strengthening local pharmacy distribution networks. The Manipur Chemists & Druggists Association (MCDA) urged the public to support neighborhood pharmacies and called on the central government to reconsider policies governing online medicine sales.