Bhubaneswar: Medicine shops across Odisha will remain shut for 24 hours on May 20 as part of a nationwide protest against the online sale of medicines and alleged misuse of drugs ordered through digital platforms.Utkal Chemists and Druggists Association has announced the statewide shutdown from midnight on May 19 to midnight on May 20, when around 30,000 medicine shops are likely to remain closed across Odisha.Association president P Satyanarayana said “illegal” e-pharmacies and heavy discounting by large online platforms have badly impacted the livelihoods of chemists, druggists, shop workers and others dependent on the trade.He alleged that online pharmacy services are taking advantage of relaxed rules, leading to the sale of medicines without proper physical checks and repeated use of the same prescription. He also warned that AI-created fake prescriptions and easy access to antibiotics and addictive medicines could create major public health concerns, including antimicrobial resistance.Satyanarayana said big corporate firms are disturbing the market through aggressive discounting. “Although profit margins on essential medicines are regulated by the govt, such pricing practices are creating unequal competition and putting small chemists, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, under severe pressure. This could damage the existing medicine distribution network that many people rely on,” he said, urging that a notification introduced during the Covid-19 period as a temporary arrangement should now be withdrawn. In his view, keeping it in force is diluting the strict provisions of Drug Rule 65, and allowing digital platforms to avoid important regulatory checks.The association has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the temporary Covid-era and e-pharmacy-related notifications. It has also called for a policy that ensures fair competition and prevents deep discounting by corporate players.According to Satyanarayana, more than 12.4 lakh chemists across India are likely to participate in the protest, called by All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists.
