Medicine shops in state to remain closed today

LUCKNOW: Medicine shops across Uttar Pradesh will remain closed on Tuesday in support of the nationwide bandh call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) to protest the central government’s new drug policy. A key issue that led to the bandh call include the Centre’s proposal for online supply of medicine to regulate sale.

LUCKNOW: Medicine shops across Uttar Pradesh will remain closed on Tuesday in support of the nationwide bandh call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) to protest the central government’s new drug policy.

But the agitating medicine traders might face strict action for keeping the medicine shops closed as the Food Safety and Drug Administration has stated this comes under the Essential Services Maintenance (ESMA) Act and no trader shall stop the sale of medicine.

The commissioners, SSPs and district magistrates have been asked to ensure sale of medicine is not hampered in their respective

A KEY ISSUE THAT LED TO THE BANDH CALL INCLUDE THE CENTRE’S PROPOSAL FOR ONLINE SUPPLY OF MEDICINE TO REGULATE THEIR SALE.

districts. “All medicine shops, excluding those in the hospitals and involved in emergency wards, will remain closed. We have decided not to disturb emergency services,” said Suresh Gupta, general secretary of the AIOCD, and Suresh Kumar, spokesperson for the Chemists and Druggists’ Federation of Uttar Pradesh (CDFUP).

A key issue that led to the bandh call include the Centre’s proposal for online supply of medicine to regulate their sale. Under the plan, it will become mandatory for wholesalers to generate bill and upload it on a central server before selling drugs to a retail chemist.

Also, a chemist will have to upload each prescription on the same server before they can generate the bill for a patient.

“This will be so tedious and impractical that selling medicine will become near impossible,” said Giriraj Rastogi, patron CDFUP.

Vikas Rastogi, spokesperson for the Lucknow Retail Chemists’ Association, said, “We have been asking the central government for the past one year to settle the issues but in vain. Hence, we are forced to protest by closing our establishments.”