Telangana issues advisory to ensure medicine access during chemists' bandh

The Telangana Drugs Control Administration issued a public advisory to ensure patient safety and uninterrupted access to essential medicines during a nationwide bandh on May 20.

In view of the one-day nationwide bandh call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists on May 20, the Drugs Control Administration in Telangana, on Tuesday issued a public advisory in the interest of patient safety and uninterrupted access to essential medicines.

According to the advisory, the district chapters of the AIOCD will coordinate with the Drug Inspectors to arrange medicines from local stores in case of emergency.

In addition, corporate medical stores such as Apollo and Medpuls have been advised to keep their stores open.

''In case of any difficulty regarding the availability of essential or emergency medicines on 20th May, 2026, members of the public may immediately contact the concerned local Drugs Inspector or the Assistant Director, Drugs Control Administration, for necessary assistance and intervention,'' it said.

The DCA is closely monitoring the situation across the State to ensure the availability of essential and life-saving medicines besides all field officers of the Department have been instructed to remain vigilant and respond promptly to any issues relating to medicine availability or public grievances.

The DCA has also set up a toll-free number for assistance or information regarding the availability of medicines.

According to AIOCD, over 15 lakh chemists and druggists across the country will keep their medical stores shut on Wednesday to protest against illegal online sale of medicines and ''unprofessional competition'' by corporate firms.