Karnataka Pharmacies To Hold 24-Hour Strike Against Online Platforms Tomorrow

Pharmacies and medical stores across Karnataka are set to observe a 24-hour statewide bandh on May 20, protesting against online medicine delivery platforms, with chemists alleging that app-based pharmacies are severely impacting their business and violating existing drug regulations.

The bandh has been announced by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists, and the Karnataka Chemists and Druggists Association (KCDA) is backing the same,

President of KCDA R. Raghunath Reddy announced that nearly 26,000 chemists across Karnataka, including around 6,500 in Bengaluru, will participate in the protest. He further claimed that nearly 12.4 lakh chemists across the country are expected to support the agitation.

"The bandh will continue for 24 hours on May 20," Reddy said, adding that the protest is primarily against the 220E and 817E amendments, which chemists claim favour online medicine delivery platforms.

Despite the bandh call, pharmacies and medical shops are expected to remain operational during the protest, even as traders symbolically oppose the growing dominance of online pharmacy applications.

Reddy alleged that several online medicine delivery apps are functioning without proper licences and violating provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by selling medicines that are not permitted for online sale.

"We have approached the High Court and also appealed to the central government, but no action has been taken," he said, warning that the protest could continue for more days if authorities fail to address their concerns.

The KCDA president also accused online pharmacies of resorting to predatory pricing by offering discounts ranging from 25 to 40 percent, while margins for traditional retailers remain fixed between 16 and 20 percent.

"Small retailers are suffering huge losses because of this," he said, adding that "more than 4 to 5 crore people depend on the pharmacy business."

According to chemists, customers had been informed about the bandh over the last 10 to 20 days, and the association has appealed to the public to cooperate with the protest, describing it as a "genuine issue."

Pharmacists argue that while online medicine delivery became necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued expansion of such platforms has drastically reduced footfall at physical stores.

When NDTV spoke to several pharmacies, many claimed that their business had dropped by nearly 50 to 60 percent since online delivery apps entered the market.

One Bengaluru-based medical store, Pharma Point, raised concerns over the increasing misuse of artificial intelligence in generating prescriptions online.

"People are now using artificial intelligence to form prescriptions and buying medicines online, which is not safe," a representative of the store said, alleging that some online platforms were even selling medicines banned by the government.

Retail pharmacists say customers visiting physical stores benefit from direct guidance and counselling regarding medicines.