The All India Organization of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD), representing over 12.40 lakh pharmacists and distributors nationwide, has called for a 24-hour national strike on May 20, 2026. The Bengal Chemists & Druggists Association (BCDA), representing nearly 40,000 members in West Bengal, has formally announced its total support for the movement. The protest targets the rapid, unregulated proliferation of illegal online e-pharmacies, the rising circulation of counterfeit medicines, and predatory pricing practices by large corporations.

​Key Concerns and Public Health Risks

​According to BCDA President Mr. Prodyot Banerjee and General Secretary Mr. Prithwi Bose, illegal e-pharmacies operate entirely outside the ambit of regulatory oversight. The associations highlighted several critical threats to public safety:

​Indiscriminate Dispensing: Unregulated digital platforms frequently dispense prescription medications, including habit-forming drugs and antibiotics, without valid prescriptions or adequate verification.

​Substandard and Fake Medicines: There is an alarming increase in counterfeit and falsified drugs. These products often contain incorrect dosages, harmful additives, or no active ingredients, risking treatment failure or fatal adverse reactions.

​Anarchic Price Competition: Predatory pricing and selling medicines below cost circumvent regulatory norms, straining legitimate pharmacies and forcing dangerous supply chain shortcuts.

​Systemic Impacts: The ease of online availability is driving self-medication, drug misuse, and antimicrobial resistance, while eroding consumer trust in healthcare systems.

​Policy Demands

​The AIOCD formally escalated these concerns to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 7, 2026, with copies marked to the Union Health, Commerce, and Home Ministers, as well as the DCGI, New Delhi.

​A primary demand is the immediate withdrawal of Notification G.S.R. 220(E), issued under Section 26B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Originally introduced as a temporary emergency measure on March 26, 2020, to allow doorstep delivery of Schedule H drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCDA argues that its continued existence in the absence of robust safeguards has outlived its purpose and actively facilitates unauthorized drug distribution.

​The chemical and pharmaceutical trade bodies urge immediate regulatory enforcement, enhanced digital surveillance, and strict distribution oversight. The strike serves as an urgent call to protect patient safety, eliminate predatory corporate practices, and safeguard India’s healthcare infrastructure.

Priyanka Dutta