AIOCD pulls 12 lakh chemists into 24-hour strike against online pharmacy discounts

All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists has called a nationwide one-day shutdown protesting deep discounts by e-pharmacies and demanding withdrawal of GSR 220(E) and GSR 817(E) notifications. Government-run Jan Aushadhi and Amrit Pharmacy outlets will stay open, blunting consumer impact.

— Source publishedTue, 19 May, 2026, 20:28 IST·First seen Tue, 19 May, 2026, 20:35 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

AIOCD calls 24-hour nationwide chemist shutdown protesting deep discounts by online pharmacies and demanding withdrawal of notifications GSR 220(E) and GSR

Key facts

  • 12 lakh chemists
  • 1000 chemists
  • 24-hour strike

Why this matters

Accelerate evaluation of e-pharmacy platform tie-ups or Jan Aushadhi-style omni-channel partnerships, as the AIOCD's defensive posture signals weakening leverage of the traditional chemist lobby in future regulatory negotiations.