Chemists and druggists across the country today kept their shutters down to protest the "draconian" new drug policy which stipulates action against those who may be found selling spurious drugs.
The strike call, which caused distress to patients at various places, was given by the All India Chemists and Druggists Association against provisions of the Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013.
"We are opposing this (new policy) as we are merely sellers, not manufacturers and government is treating us like terrorists," an association leader said.
The association has also demanded maintenance of trade margins of medicines and no reduction in it considering rising operational costs.
In the national capital, chemists and drug retailers staged protests and closed their shops at many places barring those at hospitals and nursing homes.
Retailers and Distributors Chemist Association (RDCA) President Sandeep Nangia claimed "widespread support" from drug retailers in Delhi saying around 9,000 chemists joined the strike.
AIIMS and Safdarjung hospital were, however, kept out of the strike as major operations and critical patients undergo treatment are lined up there.
Reports of strikes by chemists were received from various parts of the country.
The reports from Patna and Bhubaneswar said patients faced a tough time getting medicines.
Chemists staged demonstrations at a number of places to press for demands comprising amendments in various laws like the Drugs and Cosmetics (Amendment) Bill, 2008, to enable the chemists to sell medicines at reasonable prices by taking into account inflation and price rise.
The protesting chemists also demanded restraining pharmaceutical companies from patenting life savings drugs so that these could be sold at a cheaper price.
