New Delhi: Seeking a total ban on online sales of medicines, medical shop owners have decided to go on a nationwide strike on May 20.

According to All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), which has given the call for nationwide strike, 12.4 lakh medical shops and distributors will shut shop on that day in support of the strike.

Alleging that the growing influence of online pharma sales and uncontrolled operations of pharma networks has resulted in severe losses to medical shop owners, AIOCD said that online pharma distributors are violating the prescription given by doctors. Also, the online sales platforms, which are selling drugs at highly discounted rates, have badly affected the business of medical shops.  As such, AIOCD is forced to call for a nationwide bandh of medical shops in protest against the menace of online pharma sales, which has hurt traditional business.