Aizawl, May 20: Medical stores across Mizoram remained largely shut on Wednesday in support of a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) against the online sale of medicines.
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| People participate in a protest rally in Aizawl on May 20, 2026, as medical stores across Mizoram joined a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) against online medicine sales. (Image: DD News Mizoram) |
The shutdown received strong support in Mizoram under the banner of the Mizoram Chemists and Druggists Association (MCDA). Apart from Aizawl city, private pharmacies in several other parts of the state also remained closed during the protest.
However, pharmacy counters operating inside hospitals were exempted from the shutdown, resulting in heavy rush and long queues at hospital medicine dispensing units across Aizawl and other towns.
The protest was organised to oppose the unregulated sale of medicines through online platforms. Speaking to reporters at the Aizawl Press Club on Tuesday, MCDA leaders expressed concern that online medicine sales without proper regulatory mechanisms could pose serious risks to public safety and health.
MCDA president Pu Lalhruailiana clarified that the association was not against online services in principle, but maintained that the sale and distribution of medicines through online platforms currently violate provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs Rules, 1945.
The association alleged that medicines sold online often bypass important safeguards such as prescription verification, pharmacist supervision and proper storage standards, which could lead to misuse, counterfeit drugs and health complications.
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The nationwide agitation by chemists’ bodies seeks stricter regulation of e-pharmacies and stronger enforcement of existing laws governing the pharmaceutical sector.
Meanwhile, customers in several areas reported inconvenience due to the closure of private pharmacies, though emergency medical services continued through hospital pharmacies and healthcare institutions.
