Lakhs of medical shops on Wednesday across the country remained closed after a shutdown call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). The medical shop owners are protesting against unregulated practice and deep discounting by online players.The impact of the strike was witnessed majorly in states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana ,Karnataka and parts of Gujarat. (AFP)The strike call received a mixed response even as the body claimed total support from its members.Also read: India’s hottest district shuts at 10 am as mercury breaches 48 degrees Celsius markThe AIOCD is demanding action against "illegal" operations of online pharmacies. "All medical shops are closed... we are getting feedback from all our state branches that everybody is participating in this strike. We have not given stress to the nursing home pharmacies which are working there inside the hospitals," AIOCD General Secretary Rajiv Singhal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.The AIOCD has around 12.4 lakh members, of which nearly 7-8 lakh pharmacies across the country are likely to remain shut during the strike.The strike call has been backed by Delhi's Retail Distribution Chemist Alliance (RDCA), according to The Indian Express.What are the demands of the protesting chemist bodies?AIOCD National President JS Shinde stermed the current online sale of medicines in the country as "entirely unlawful and illegal.""The online sale of medicines has recently commenced. However, the online sales currently taking place are entirely unlawful and illegal. This is because the government had previously issued a notification regarding this matter, specifically GSR 817," Shinde was quoted as saying by ANI.Also read: Surprise visit to Mayawati’s house by 2 Congress leaders sparks UP alliance buzzHe further said the organisation had opposed the online sale of medicines during policy discussions with the government, arguing that such systems could eventually "fall into the hands of the mafia" if not properly regulated."We submitted that the online sale of medicines, when viewed in a global context, is not a beneficial practice; rather, it tends to fall into the hands of the mafia. We argued that establishing such a system would necessitate the development of a robust IT infrastructure," he stated.The AIOCD's three major demands include cancellation of Notification GSR 817 and formulation of a fresh framework for medicine sales, withdrawal of Notification GSR 220 introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, and action against deep discounts being offered by online medicine platforms.Also read: Delhi under 5-day IMD warning as heatwave brings furnace feelsThe 24-hour-long strike began on May 20 and will continue till May 21. Emergency medicine services will not be impacted in the strike, according to reports.Impact of the 24-hr-long strikeThe impact of the strike was witnessed majorly in states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana ,Karnataka and parts of Gujarat.Gujarat: Several medical shops and pharmacies remained closed in Gujarat's Rajkot on Wednesday in view of the strike call. Medical shops in Rajkot showed remained shuttered down, ANI reported.Punjab: The strike witnessed a dramatic escalation as the Punjab Chemist Association has threatened a massive state-wide shutdown.Association President Surinder Duggal announced that if their grievances are not addressed, all 27,000 chemists in the region will hand over their shop keys to the state government in protest.“If our demands are not met, all the 27,000 chemists (in Amritsar) will hand the keys of our shops to the state government,” Duggal told ANI.Haryana: Similar scenes were reported from Haryana as chemists at several places participated in the one-day strike with Haryana State Chemists and Druggists Association (HSCDA) claiming total support from its members to the nationwide strike call.At most places in the state, including Ambala and Hisar, pharmacies remained closed, PTI reported.In Kurukshetra, Ashok Singla, general secretary of the Association, said the entire district observed the strike. He said pharmacies inside private hospitals and clinics, as well as government hospitals in Kurukshetra and elsewhere, were exempted from the strike for the convenience of patients.Andhra Pradesh: Local pharmacy owners in Vijayawada took protested against the rising trend of online drug sales and doorstep medicine deliveries and took to streets on Wednesday, ANI reported.Organised under the banner of the NTR District Chemists & Druggists Association, the protesters carried banners opposing online medicine sales and doorstep delivery of drugs.The protestors held placards with slogans such as "Support Local Chemists, Support Safe Healthcare" and "Protect Chemists, Protect Public Health", and demanded strict action against illegal online medicine distribution.Tamil Nadu: Nearly 40,000 medical shops remained closed in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, PTI reported, quoting sources.However, chain of pharmacies affiliated to hospitals, including Apollo, MedPlus, Tulasi Pharmacy, and Muthu Pharmacy, as well as state-owned retail outlets such as Chief Minister's Pharmacies, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Society Pharmacies, and the Prime Minister's Jan Aushadhi Kendras, did not participate in the strike, the office of the director of drugs control, Tamil Nadu said.Karnataka: More than 20,000 chemists across the state joined the AIOCD strike call. Karnataka Chemists and Druggists Association (KCDA) president R Raghunatha Reddy said that in Karnataka, nearly 26,000 chemists, including around 6,500 retailers in Bengaluru, are expected to observe the strike.He said the strike had become unavoidable due to repeated violations of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act by online pharmacies.