Over 70% medical shops remained closed in AP in protest against e-pharmacies

Medical shops remain closed amid a nationwide strike by pharmacists protesting against e-pharmacies and alleged irregularities in the online sale of medicines in Vijayawada on Wednesday. | Photo credit: GN RAO

Chemists in Andhra Pradesh’s major cities, including Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Nellore and Tirupati, on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) downed shutters in a one-day bandh called by the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) against the growing sale of drugs through online pharmacies that allow people to buy prescription drugs.

According to the association, more than 70% of the medical shops in the state remained closed on Wednesday.

The AP Chemists and Druggists Association said in a report that e-pharmacies and deep discounts have threatened the livelihoods of 50 million people. Large corporations threaten the survival of small chemists in rural and semi-urban areas, destroying the available drug supply system.

In addition, e-pharmacies have also affected public health, the association said in a report. “Through AI prescriptions, the unchecked availability of antibiotics and addictive drugs is leading to major threats such as antimicrobial resistance,” the association said.

In Vijayawada, members of the NTR District Chemists and Druggists Association took part in a rally at Nakkala Road, highlighting the problems they are facing due to the growing dominance of online drug sales.

The general secretary of the association, DVR Sai Kumar, pointed out in the gathering that except for 27 medical shops which are attached to private hospitals, all other shops in the district have downed shutters. The city itself has around 700 medical shops. “We have received good response from all districts in the state. Almost all medical shops have participated in the bandh, except a few which had to remain open for emergency purposes,” said Mr. Sai Kumar.

On Tuesday (May 19, 2026), officials of the Drug Control Authority, NTR district said that necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that medicines remain available throughout the district.

In Visakhapatnam, instructions have been issued to ensure that at least one medical shop remains open in every center across the district to avoid inconvenience to the public.

The administration said that medical stores in hospitals and nursing homes would operate as usual and that there would be no shortage of medicines for patients. MedPlus Pharmacy has informed the authorities that all its outlets in the district will remain open on the day of the bandh, while Apollo Pharmacy has said that at least 50% of its outlets will be functional.

Published – 20 May 2026 23:10 IST