Bid to allow online sale of medicines opposed

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 27: The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry’s decision on e-portal of medicines have no takers among chemists and druggists. The All India Organizations of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has been protesting against the move for online selling of medicines as that may land patients into troubled waters. “If the Centre goes ahead with the decision, it will end up by leaving around 50 lakh people engaged in the pharmaceutical business jobless, rendering around three core people crying for food, cloth and other basic needs. We, therefore, have called a pharmacy bandh on May 30,” AIOCD said in a statement issued to the press today. Meanwhile, the Assam Drug Dealers’ Association (ADDA) has extended its support to the bandh called by the AIOCD. In a statement issued to the press today, ADDA president Promod Mour and general secretary Bikram Choudhury said: “On May 30 we’re going to register our protest against the decision to allow online selling of medicines. However, a few pharmacies will be kept open in each of the districts in the State for the interest of patients.”