15 lakh chemists down shutters as AIOCD strikes against e-pharmacy discounting
AIOCD-led nationwide bandh protests 20-50% online discounts, pandemic-era home-delivery exemptions and alleged fake-drug risks from Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, Apollo and Netmeds. Chemists demand rollback of notifications enabling e-pharmacy growth threatening small offline retailers.
What happened
Over 15 lakh chemists shut shops nationwide in AIOCD-led strike protesting online pharmacy sales, deep discounts (20-50%), fake drugs and pandemic-era
Key facts
- 15 lakh chemists
- 20-50% discounts
Why this matters
Chemist association pressure could force e-pharmacy players toward offline tie-ups or acquisitions of neighborhood pharmacy networks as a regulatory hedge—scout franchise aggregators and regional chemist chains.