Chemists in Visakhapatnam Vijayawada Tirupati protest e-pharmacies over public health
India
Chemists across Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati shut their shops for a day to protest against online pharmacies.
They're worried these platforms make it too easy to buy habit-forming drugs and antibiotics without a prescription, which could put public health at risk.
Chemists rally while some pharmacies open
Local chemist associations organized rallies to highlight how e-pharmacies impact traditional stores and community safety.
To make sure no one was left without essential medicines, at least one pharmacy in Visakhapatnam district stayed open, and hospital medical shops ran as usual.
Big chains like MedPlus kept all outlets running, while Apollo Pharmacy had about half its stores open during the bandh.