On May 20, 2026, members of the Andhra Pradesh Chemists and Druggists Association organized a protest at Fort junction in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, in response to a nationwide strike called by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). The protest aimed to demand stricter regulations on the online sale of medicines. Association leaders, including G. Srinivasa Rao (district president) and Motamarri Srinivasa Rao (general secretary), expressed concerns that corporate pharmacies were offering substantial discounts that jeopardized the livelihoods of small and medium-sized medical shops. They urged the government to impose a ban on online medicine sales. During the protest, pharmacists closed their shops and participated in a bike rally to the Collector's office. The association's members voiced allegations that certain companies were using fake prescriptions to facilitate online sales, further undermining local pharmacies. V. Satish, the association’s treasurer, noted that small pharmacies were suffering significant financial losses due to the minimal profit margins provided by bulk drug companies, exacerbating the ongoing crisis in the pharmaceutical retail sector.