Hundreds of patients faced inconvenience across the district as chemist shops remained shut on Wednesday in response to a nationwide strike call against e-pharmacies.
The protest, organised on the call of the All-India Chemists’ Association, saw around 500 medical stores across Fatehgarh Sahib district down shutters for the day.
The closure left many people struggling to procure essential medicines, particularly elderly. Several residents were seen moving from one market to another in search of open pharmacies, while attendants accompanying patients also reported difficulties in arranging prescribed medicines.
District Chemists Association president Sunil Sharma said the strike aimed at opposing the growing trend of online medicine sales, which, according to the association, pose serious risks to public health.
He alleged that medicines supplied through online platforms often failed to meet quality standards and claimed that banned as well as habit-forming drugs were easily available through such channels without adequate monitoring.
He said local chemists sold medicines from authorised and reputed companies and adhered to government norms regarding restricted drugs.
He maintained that if any chemist was found involved in the illegal sale of narcotic medicines, the association would not support him.
He also questioned the verification of online medicine suppliers, alleging that consumers often remained unaware of the actual source of medicines being delivered to them.
