Stating that the new directive issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was not only bothering them, but was also acting as a threat to public healthcare, members of the Retail and Dispensing Chemists Association (RDCA), Mumbai, have decided to go on a strike from December 16 to December 18.

This strike will witness participation of chemists from all over the state. “As per the new FDA rule, patients will have to get a new prescription every time they visit a chemist’s shop to purchase regularly used medicines needed for lifetime diseases (asthma, diabetes, arthritis, etc.). This means a chemist won’t be able to give medicine if patients lack a prescription,” said RDCA Secretary Prasad Danave.