Chemists strike on May 20: Reasons behind today’s all-India strike

Key points

• The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), a prominent association representing the interests of chemists and druggists in India, has called for a nationwide 24-hour strike from May 20 to May 21 to express grievances that are affecting the pharmaceutical and retail medicine sectors in the country.
• The organisation claims to represent approximately 12.4 lakh chemists, with a substantial portion of the community involved in the sale and distribution of medicines.
• Here are the reasons why the pharmacists across India has gone for an all-out strike Why are pharmacies on strike?
• 1. Regulatory Concerns Changes in regulations governing the sale of medicines, including licensing requirements and pricing controls, have caused an uproar.
• Two of the government’s recent regulations are GSR 220(E) and GSR 817E, introduced on March 26, 2020, and August 20, 2018, concerning e-pharmacy or the online sale of medicines.