The Punjab Chemists Association (PCA), in alignment with the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), has officially called for a complete shutdown of all medical stores and chemist shops across Punjab on May 20, 2026.

This 24-hour statewide strike is part of a larger nationwide protest aimed at opposing the unregulated growth of e-pharmacies, corporate monopolies, and certain government drug policies that traditional chemists claim are hurting their livelihoods and compromising public health.

Reasons Behind the Strike

The pharmacy owners and wholesale distributors have highlighted several core issues that triggered this drastic measure:

• Protest Against Online E-Pharmacies: Chemists are raising serious concerns over the unchecked expansion of online drug delivery platforms. They argue that e-pharmacies heavily distort fair competition by offering predatory corporate discounts, making it virtually impossible for small brick-and-mortar medical stores to survive.

• Public Health and Drug Safety Risks: The PCA emphasized that medicines are not ordinary commodities. Selling medicines online door-to-door without proper verification often leads to the misuse of prescription-only drugs. They warned that AI-generated or repeated use of old prescriptions on digital apps is fueling drug misuse, especially antibiotic resistance and habit-forming substance abuse among youth.

• Abolition of Pandemic-Era Notifications: The association is demanding the immediate withdrawal of certain relaxation notifications (like GSR 220(E)) issued during the COVID-19 pandemic, which they claim are currently being misused to bypass the stringent safety provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules.

• Local Grievances with State Authorities: At the state level, the PCA has voiced discontent over the lack of communication from the Punjab government. They have also requested a systematic check on government Jan Aushadhi stores and demanded an end to the unnecessary harassment of local chemists by police personnel during drug inspections.

The Protest Schedule and Impact on Patients

To ensure their voice reaches the authorities, the chemists have planned a phased protest:

• May 15 to May 19: As a symbolic protest leading up to the strike, retail and wholesale chemists across Punjab will wear black badges on their uniforms.

• May 20 (Midnight to Midnight): A complete 24-hour shutdown of all retail and wholesale chemist shops will take place across all districts of Punjab, including major hubs like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Patiala.

Note for Patients: While wholesale markets and local retail shops will remain completely closed, the association has assured that alternative arrangements for emergency medicines will be available at specific locations and hospital-attached pharmacies so that critical healthcare services are not entirely paralyzed. However, citizens are strongly advised to purchase their essential and routine medications in advance to avoid any inconvenience.