Medical stores to remain closed today

Ranchi: Following a nationwide protest call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, the Jharkhand Chemists and Druggists Association announced on Tuesday that over a lakh medical shops across Jharkhand will remain closed on Wednesday.

The Jharkhand Chemists and Druggists Association (JCDA) said that the shutdown is in protest against the sale of medicines through online and e-pharmacy platforms across the country. During the 24-hour-long strike, around 18,000 retail and wholesale medical stores across Ranchi will remain closed.

However, in Jharkhand, medical stores existing in both private and govt hospital premises will remain open to ease the inconvenience caused to the public during the strike.

JCDA president Umesh Srivastav said that the unrestricted operations of online pharmacies and digital medicine selling platforms could lead to misuse of medicines, raising serious risks to public health. “The rapidly growing online platforms are affecting the business of medical stores by offering heavy discounts and faster delivery services. Apart from the loss incurred by the medical stores, substandard medicines are being provided by the e-pharmacies to the patients, risking their lives. In protest to these malpractices, the medical stores will remain close on Wednesday,” Srivastav added.

Srivastav said that many consumers, especially the youth, often procure addictive drugs just by uploading fake prescriptions. “The delivery partners of the online pharmacies make the medicine available to customers without undergoing any checking mechanism, which is very worrying,” he added.

Lalit Modi, joint secretary of JCDA, said that they demand immediate closure of the e-pharmacy services across the country to safeguard patients’ rights. He said that around 2.5 lakh medical stores in Jharkhand have extended support to the strike call.