Around 14,000 chemists and druggists across Gujarat on Friday kept their shutters down and joined the strike call given by the All India Chemists and Druggists Association in protest of Central Government's new drug policy.
"Nearly 14,000 medical stores remained closed on Friday and joined the one-day strike call given by our national association in protest of draconian provisions in the new drug policy of the Centre," President Federation of Gujarat State Chemists and Druggists Association Jashvant Patel said here.
"We are objecting to the provisions made in Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Act, 2008 which stipulates action against chemists and druggists too who may be found selling spurious drugs," said Patel. "We are opposing this as we are merely sellers, not manufacturers and government is treating us like terrorists," he added. "We welcome the strict legal provisions to reduce the presence of spurious drugs in the market but in that effort, we should be made witnesses not accused," he urged.
