Opposing sale of medicines through the Internet, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists has announced a nationwide chemists' bandh on October 14.
Severely opposing the online pharmacy business burgeoning all over the country, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists has announced a nationwide chemists' bandh on October 14.
In a press note issued on Monday, the AIOCD strongly opposed the Centre's move to regularize the sale of medicines through the Internet.
It said that it had announced the nationwide bandh to attract the attention of the government and the authorities concerned to the illegal sale of medicines possible online as per the present provision of the Drugs & Cosmetic Act 1940 and Rules 1945.
The Association stated that e-pharmacies would increase risk of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR), and make possibile the distribution of low quality, misbranded and spurious medicines.
The e-pharmacies would also severely affect the livelihood of eight lakh chemists and their 80 lakh workers and families, the Association said.
The e-pharmacies would also affect availability of medicines in rural India, it claimed.
AIOCD president J S Shinde stated that, much of the online pharmacy business was going on illegally, with the authorities concerned not taking action despite complaints made.
Andhra Pradesh Chemists & Druggists Association office-bearers Chandra Gupta, N S Sree Ramulu, Vivek Chand Chordia, Jai Prakash Agarwal, Ghisulal Jain and others extended support to the bandh.