More than 24,000 Chemists and Druggists in Karnataka will down their shutters on Sept 28 in response to an all India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists call for nation wide bandh in protest against the Union Government's move to introduce 'E-Pharmacy' throughout the country.

The Karnataka Chemists and Druggists Association President R Raghunath Reddy, who is spreading the agitation in the State, told UNI that there are 24,000 Chemists, including 6500 in the State Capital Bengaluru, and all shops will remain closed from 2400hrs to 2400 hrs tomorrow (Sept 28).

"However, the medicine outlets in the Hospitals and Nursing Homes will remain open and they were exempted from the Bandh," Mr Reddy added. Replying to a question he said that "we were forced to go for this step because several representations to the Union government went unanswered and the Draft Rules have already been published in the All India Gazette. It was also legally objected. "E-Pharmacies are only Computer Portals, without any physical stocks and medicines and it is against the services of conventional Medical Stores. But E-Pharmacies have been highlighted to the maximum by the government.

Mr Reddy said that since the Union Government is supposed to act immediately, more than 10,000 Chemists will assemble at Jantar Mantar at New Delhi and submit a memorandum after holding token protest against proposed 'E-Pharmacies'.

There are more than 8.5 lakhs Chemists in the country. He said that there is National Pharmaceutical Priciing Authority (NPPA) to oversee the pricing of drugs manufactured in the country. "The Centre can take action if the NPPA has failed to act and if there is drugs sold at exorbitant price. But allowing E-Pharmacies which can sell the drugs Online without knowing where the drug was manufactured or the quality of the drugs is against the ethics," he added.

According to Karnataka Government Health Department sources all the Government Hospitals in the Districts have been already asked to keep enough stocks of medicines in view of State Bandh called by Chemists and Druggists to ensure availability of drugs to the ailing patients.