More than 5,000 chemists across Himachal Pradesh joined the nationwide strike on Wednesday to demand action by the centre against the online sale of medicines.
There was a complete shutdown by the retail and wholesale chemists across the state, Himachal Pradesh Chemist and Druggist Association president Sanjeev Pandit told IANS.
He said the shutdown was also observed by private chemists operating stores in state-run hospitals and dispensaries.
The state civil supplies corporation drug stores, however, operated in major hospitals but patients complained of inadequate availability of medicines there.
"Only a handful of medicines, mostly generic, were available in the civil supplies store here," Parkash Chand, whose son was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital here, said.
There was no report of any untoward incidents, a senior police officer said.
