Punjab, Haryana Chemists’ strike disrupts medicine supply; Patients struggle as thousands of shops remain shut
Harvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, May 20, 2026 — Patients across Punjab and Haryana faced severe inconvenience on Wednesday as thousands of chemist shops remained closed during a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) against online medicine sales and heavy discounting by e-pharmacy companies.
The one-day protest affected medicine availability in several districts of both states, forcing patients and attendants to move from one pharmacy to another in extreme heat to arrange essential medicines.
The strike witnessed large-scale participation from retail and wholesale chemists in cities including Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Moga and Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, along with Ambala, Hisar and Kurukshetra in Haryana.
Patients, especially senior citizens and those suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and blood pressure-related conditions, reported difficulties in getting regular medicines. Long queues were witnessed outside pharmacies operating inside government and private hospitals, many of which remained open to handle emergency needs.
Chemist associations claimed nearly 27,000 chemists across Punjab supported the shutdown, while Haryana chemists also observed the strike in large numbers.
According to chemist leaders, the protest was aimed at opposing what they called “unregulated online sale of medicines” and “deep discounting practices” by e-pharmacy platforms.
Punjab Chemists Association spokesperson Raman Kapoor said around 1,300 chemists in Hoshiarpur district alone participated in the strike from midnight onwards.
He alleged that some online platforms were supplying medicines without proper prescription verification and raised concerns over the sale of counterfeit and habit-forming drugs through digital channels.
Kapoor said that under existing regulations, medicines are supposed to be sold only against a valid prescription and under the supervision of a registered pharmacist or medical practitioner. However, he claimed online companies were bypassing these safeguards by delivering medicines directly through courier services.
Punjab Chemists Association president Surinder Duggal warned that chemists may intensify their protest if their demands are not addressed.
He stated that chemists could even hand over the keys of their shops to the government as a symbolic protest against policies they believe are hurting small pharmacy owners.
The associations are demanding stricter regulation of e-pharmacy companies, curbs on heavy discounting by online platforms, and stronger enforcement of drug laws.
Chemist leaders also argued that local pharmacies played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring uninterrupted door-to-door supply of medicines when many services were disrupted.
In Haryana, the Haryana State Chemists and Druggists Association also claimed widespread participation in the strike. Pharmacies in several districts remained shut, although hospital pharmacies and emergency medicine counters were exempted to reduce inconvenience for patients.
Chemist bodies in both states said memorandums highlighting their demands and concerns would be submitted to district administrations and forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The protest once again highlighted the growing conflict between traditional chemist shops and rapidly expanding online pharmacy platforms, with both sides debating issues related to pricing, regulation, consumer safety and business survival.