Dehradun: The nationwide protest against e-pharmacies impacted Uttarakhand on Tuesday, with around 95% of medical stores remaining closed during the 24-hour strike called by chemist associations. In Dehradun alone, nearly 98% of medicine shops stayed shut, affecting crores worth of business.

Chemist associations said online medicine sales and heavy discounts offered by corporate platforms are hurting traditional medical stores and threatening the livelihood of small traders. However, hospitals, Jan Aushadhi Kendras, and a few selected medical stores were kept open to ensure patients did not face major inconvenience.

Wholesale Chemist Association Dehradun General Secretary Akash Prabhakar said the protest was aimed at opposing the growing e-pharmacy business and deep discounting practices. District Chemist Association President Manish Nanda claimed Dehradun sees medicine trade worth ₹10–12 crore daily, and the one-day shutdown caused significant losses.

Meanwhile, FDA Additional Commissioner Tajbar Singh Jaggi said all drug inspectors were kept on alert to ensure emergency medicines remained available. He warned that strict action could be taken against stores if patients faced problems in medical emergencies.

Himalayan Live Bureau

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