While majority of the state units of the All Indian Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD) stayed away from operating their pharmacies on Friday following a country wide strike call announced by the organisation, the Tamil Nadu Chemists & Druggists Association (TNCDA) did not follow the instruction of the central body.

Abstaining from shutting down the shops, they took a new model of agitation without effecting  any loss for their business. The chemists association conducted a hunger strike as a moral support to the national agitation. All the medical shops in the state functioned as usual and no closure occurred anywhere.

In the hunger strike held at Valluvarkottam, which started at 9 O' Clock in the morning and continued upto 5 O' Clock in the evening, about one thousand traders from within the state capital and from nearby districts attended. The president of TNCDA, KK Selvam inaugurated the meeting organized as part of the strike, said N Anandan, secretary of the association.

While speaking to Pharmabiz, Anandan said there was instruction from AIOCD to close down the shops on May 10, but considering the situation in the state they could not follow the advice of the national body. “But we are observing hunger strike to express our solidarity with them. We don’t want to disturb the public; we are always on the helping side. So we don’t want to observe a state wide pharmacy bandh,” he said.

He said TNCDA opposes the unjustified policies of the central government.  Regarding demands for the agitation, he said considering the rising operational costs, it is necessary to maintain the trade margins of medicines. It should not be reduced in the forthcoming drug policy 2013.

The association wanted the government to suitably amend Rule 65 (15) C of Drugs & Cosmetics Rules to permit the proprietors as qualified persons to dispense the drugs. They have also raised slogans against foreign direct investment (FDI) in the distribution and retailing of medicines because it will affect the traders badly.

In Kerala no medical store was closed as part of the national strike. Since AKCDA is not working in the state due to legal hurdles, no announcement was given to the traders, said the former leader of the association.