Facing a growing regulatory and compliance burden, Punjab’s chemists and pharmacists have approached Health Minister Balbir Singh seeking changes in a series of online portal requirements, documentation norms and pharmacy regulations.A delegation of the Punjab Chemists Association, affiliated with the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), recently met the Health Minister and submitted a list of demands.Senior vice president of the association, Sudershan Chaudhary, told The Tribune they demanded that new online systems and regulatory requirements should not be implemented without first addressing the practical difficulties being faced by chemists. One of the association’s key demands was to put the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) portal on hold until the concerns of chemists are resolved, he said.Chaudhary said the minister assured the delegation that the portal would not be implemented until the issues raised by the chemists had been satisfactorily addressed.The association also opposed the implementation of the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS) in its present form. It demanded that the problems associated with the portal be taken up with the Central Government and that chemists and other stakeholders be consulted before the system is implemented.Another major demand concerned amendments to the Punjab Drug Policy, 2021. The association sought changes in provisions that were creating practical difficulties for chemists in running their businesses and complying with regulatory requirements.The chemists also demanded the restoration of the old XLN Portal (The earlier online drug-licensing and regulatory portal) used by the Punjab Drug Department which they described as more convenient for the trade. According to Chaudhary, the health minister assured the delegation that the old portal would be brought back.The association raised concerns over duplication of documentation as well. It told the minister that documents and information already available with the Punjab State Pharmacy Council should not be sought again through the pharmacy portal. The chemists demanded an end to repeated submission of documents and duplication of data entry, Chaudhary told The Tribune.The association also sought relaxation in the mandatory experience requirement for pharmacists. It demanded that the compulsory three-year experience requirement be reduced to one year.Another issue raised by the chemists was the requirement to maintain physical H1 registers for sale of scheduled drugs despite pharmacies already maintaining computerised records of sales and purchases along with bills. The association demanded that digital and computerised records be accepted as an alternative wherever the required information is already available electronically.The delegation also sought regular inspections of Jan Aushadhi stores and action against outlets found violating rules.The association further called for action against illegal online and corporate drug businesses, alleging that such operations were creating an uneven playing field for licensed local chemists. Chaudhary said the government had directed the Drug Department to check such businesses and take appropriate action.The association said its demands were intended to reduce the compliance burden on Punjab’s approximately 33,000 chemists and 68,000 pharmacists.