More than two lakh medical representatives in the country under the banner of Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives' Associations of India (FMRAI) are on strike today raising issues like 'peoples' rights on affordable quality medicines' and 'fulfilling of field workers' legal rights'.

FMRAI Tamil Nadu unit general secretary Ramesh Sundar said the major demands of the association included removal of excise duty on essential and life-saving drugs and imposition of uniform rate of four per cent excise duty on all other drugs. Due to the high rate of excise duty, medicines have become out of the reach of the common man, he said.

The FMRAI also demanded that the state governments should exempt sales tax on essential drugs when these medicines are exempted from excise duty by the central government. The Association is also opposing the MRP-based excise collection introduced by the central government in 2005.

"Under the Essential Commodities Act, the Drug Price Control Order is in vogue. But, during the period of successive central governments, it has become irrelevant and the drug companies are free to increase the drug prices as they desire. We are demanding cap on MRP on all medicines and lowest possible cap on essential drugs" said G Gopinath, FMRAI state president.

Besides, the Association is demanding to amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to provide punishment for unfair marketing by some drug companies. They said the medical companies are bribing the medical practitioners spending huge amount on foreign and domestic tours and gifting valuables. To put an end to such practices there should be provision of punishment in law.

Similarly, to stop the unfair trading there must be provision of punishment in Drug Act also. They alleged that unfair trading by drug companies have resulted in huge black marketing of medicines in which fake drug manufacturers and sellers are easily entering. The medical representatives and chemists often become victims in the hands of drug mafias and ultimately people become victims of fake drugs.

The strike is called for mainly to draw the attention of the Union government. The government should review the decision in respect of tax free states for pharma industry which is leading to rapid dismantling of pharma production units in other states and consequent job-loss to large number of workers engaged in production and other associated work.

The total exemption of excise duty on all drugs in states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Jammu & Kashmir had put the industry in a disadvantageous position.

Tax free medicines legally and illegally coming from tax free states are being sold throughout the country giving rise to mushrooming of propaganda-cum-distribution agents that pose threatening to a large number of field workers and small scale industries.

In February this year while demonstrating before the Parliament the FMRAI members demanded the amendment of section 2(S) of ID Act incorporating 'sales promotion' in the definition of I.D Act. The y also demanded extension of SPE Act to all field workers of the industries.

Ramesh Sundar said the strike is also a warning to Maharashtra government for not to proceed with the proposed bill to amend MRTU and PULP Act of Maharashtra to exclude sales promotion employees under influence of drug companies.