Union of Registered Pharmacists (URP), which claims to have a membership of around 20,000 pharmacists from across Maharashtra, will oppose the proposed three-day strike from December 16 to 18 called by Retail Druggists and Chemists Association (RDCA), representing over 55,000 retail chemists and pharmacists in Maharashtra.

URP members feel that the RDCA strike is unjustified and need to be addressed by the regulators on a war footing. "We would ensure that the strike does not take place by reporting the matter to the FDA officials if any chemist shop was found closed from December 16 to 18, 2013. There should be strict enforcement of the law as per the provisions of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and Drugs and Cosmetics Act (D&C Act) for consistent supply of medicines," said Aniket, a member of URP.

URP members have also raised concerns over incidents of wrong dispensing of drugs in Bhandara, Hingoli, Latur, Pune, Solapur, Parbhani and Gondia districts of Maharashtra by unqualified pharmacists. They have also appealed to the law enforcement agencies to take action against the doctors who stock and sell medicines illegally particularly in interior Maharashtra.

RDCA, however, is against the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s massive crackdown on the offending chemists by suspending over 400 licenses in the past six months.  According to Prasad Danave from Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), "Over 55,000 retail chemists and pharmacists in Maharashtra have decided to down shutters for three days from December 16 to 18, 2013 to protest against the alleged harassment by government officials."