Medical shops in Hyderabad to down shutters on May 20

Thousands of chemists and druggists in Hyderabad and nearby districts will observe a one-day shutdown on May 20 to protest against digital e-pharmacies, unfair pricing practices and relaxed online drug retail rules. Associations also raised concerns about public health and prescription verification

Hyderabad: Thousands of chemists and druggists from Hyderabad, Secunderabad and surrounding districts are set to down their shutters on May 20 to protest against the unregulated growth of digital e-pharmacies and predatory corporate pricing.

Spearheaded by the Telangana Chemists and Druggists Association (TTCDA) and Hyderabad Chemist and Druggist Association (HCDA), the one-day strike is part of a nationwide protest call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD).

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HCDA president A Sridhar Gupta warned that the aggressive expansion of heavily funded corporate digital platforms is systematically destroying neighbourhood pharmacies across the twin cities. “This is a battle for survival. Unfair deep discounting by big corporate players is wiping out small, accessible medicine counters that families have relied on for generations, especially in semi-urban and rural pockets,” he said.

The TTCDA and HCDA are demanding the immediate withdrawal of pandemic-era emergency notifications that relaxed online drug retail rules, along with the implementation of a strict ‘Level Playing Field’ policy.

TTCDA president K Srinivas and general secretary T Raju said that if the Centre does not intervene immediately, Hyderabad’s pharma traders will join an indefinite nationwide agitation following the May 20 protest.

Beyond commercial survival, the associations are also raising concerns over serious public health risks. In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the associations alleged that e-pharmacies are exploiting regulatory loopholes by dispensing critical medications without physical prescription verification.