Karnataka Chemists & Druggists Association (KCDA) have stated that all the 27,000 chemists shops across the state have brought the shutters down and the strike is a total success. The Association also submitted to Karnataka health and family welfare minister UT Khader a memorandum to ban all online pharmacy websites because it violates the Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules.

“Our memorandum was also accepted by Karnataka drugs controller Raghurama Bhandary, said V Harikrishnan, president Karnataka Chemists & Druggists Association and the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association.

“We are confident that the state government has comprehended the issue and will make efforts to arrive at solution at the earliest,” he added.

The chemists and druggists across the state took out protest marches at various places. In Bengaluru 2,500 chemists carried out peaceful protests at the Freedom Park to fight the cause of online pharmacy players operating in the absence of a set of norms.

A dedicated committee for the creation of online pharmacy guidelines led by Maharashtra FDA commissioner Harshadeep Kamble has Karnataka drugs controller Raghurama Bhandary, Odisha drugs controller H Mahapatra, CDCSO assistant drugs controller Atul Kumar Nasa, FDA Goa director Salim A Velijee, Madhya Pradesh State Licensing Authority Pankaj Agarwal and CDSCO joint drugs controller Dr Eshwara Reddy as its members. The committee is now awaiting the comments of the stakeholders covering druggists, chemists and the related associations before the month end.

The online pharmacy retailers in the country have formed an association, the Indian Internet Pharmacy Association (IIPA), to promote and protect the public health by ensuring that its members operate in accordance with the existing Drugs & Cosmetics Rules read with Sections 4 & 5 of Information Technology Act, 2008, and Pharmacy Practice Regulations, 2015 issued by government of India through PCI.

“We strongly object to online pharmacy which is currently an unethical mode of doing business. It is heartening to note that the state government is looking into the issue and keen to help us,” Harikrishnan told Pharmabiz.

Both Karnataka Chemists & Druggists Association and the Bangalore District Chemists and Druggists Association have exempted the hospital pharmacies in this 24-hour bandh. This ensured the public and patients have had access to drugs from these outlets.

According to a section of people who gathered at pharmacy outlets in the government hospitals of Victoria and Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, with an increased awareness about the nationwide strike call on October 14, the drugs have been purchased well in advance to offset any immediate emergencies. However, it is the outpatients and in-patients medicines which constituted the usual and major chunk of sales today at the hospital pharmacies in most hospitals.