Pharmacies in Assam remained closed today as chemists and druggists joined the nationwide strike by All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists to protest against e-pharmacies.
Members of All Assam Drug Dealers Association (AADDA) kept their shops shut today in support of the day-long nationwide strike, its general secretary B Choudhury said.
The proposed e-pharmacies would facilitate easy collection of harmful drugs by youths and the standard of medicines may deteriorate, he alleged.
Further, life-saving medicines may become scarce in villages and several lakh families which depend on medicine retailing will be directly affected by the Centre's move to introduce online sale of drugs, he added.
Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, only registered pharmacists are permitted to sell drugs on producing a valid prescription.
