A pharmacy, or an online pharmacy, is one that basically takes an order of medicines over the Internet and then delivers medicine to a patient through mail or dedicated delivery companies. From the first pioneering steps in 2015, the e-pharmacy industry has crossed Rs 3500 Cr in 2018 and is estimated to touch Rs 25000 Cr in 2022 as per a Frost and Sullivan Report.
This rapid growth of the pharmacy business speaks of a gap that exists in the market. For four years, the e-pharmacies have operated in a grey area while the government is yet to formulate concrete regulations for them.
In September 2018, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), who represent the 8 lakh plus brick and mortar retail chemists, observed a day-long strike. It triggered the Indian Government to issue a set of draft rules for the working of e-pharmacies in India, stating that no person will distribute, sell, stock, exhibit or offer for sale of drugs through an e-pharmacy unless registered.
These draft rules ended the debate against e-pharmacies then. But even after a year, there has been no update on these rules by the Government.
In a November 2019 order, the drugs controller general of India (DCGI) directed all states and union territories to prohibit the sale of medicines through unlicensed online platforms till the draft rules for regulating epharmacies are put in place.
There are two challenges that the e-pharmacies need to navigate. One is the regulatory challenge and the other being the challenge in providing a meaningful value proposition to the population segment it aims to serve.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Powerful Process Control with IND500x Weighing Indicators
Ensuring consistent quality in hazardous environments, particularly in Ex-Areas (Zone 1/21, Division 1), is a critical aspect of industrial operations. The IND500x weighing indicators from METTLER TOLEDO provide a robust solution for these challenging settings, offering optimized safety and productivity.
Ensuring clean room integrity with prime clean reset high-speed doors
Prime Clean Reset high-speed doors ensure airtight seals, minimising air permeability and contamination in clean rooms. Designed for sensitive environments, they enhance operational efficiency and meet rigorous regulatory standards, making them ideal for pharmaceutical and biotech industries
Complete environmental monitoring solution - testo Saveris Pharma
There are several critical applications in the industry like research and development that demand for continuous & reliable monitoring of important environmental parameters.
Adaptive Manufacturing:-The new flexibility in medical device assembly
Unlike traditional, rigid production lines, B&R's adaptive machines seamlessly adjust to the requirements of each device, dynamically adapting to each unique process
Reshaping pharma safety with active packaging innovations
CILICANT is revolutionising active packaging with solutions tailored for the most sensitive formulations. Meet the innovators driving stability, safety, and impurity control in pharma packaging at CPhI India
UNLOCKING GROWTH FRONTIERS
Vadodara Pharma Summit 2024 brought together industry leaders and experts to highlight the city's pivotal role in India's pharma landscape and explore collaborative strategies to strengthen India's pharma innovation ecosystem
Optimising cloud provisioning for pharmaceutical compliance and operational excellence
Suresh Perikala, Senior Engineering Lead - DevOps and Cloud Engineering Practice, Altimetrik
Accelerating pharma's sustainability efforts
Avinaw Prasad, Director, Climate Change & Sustainability, Deloitte India explains why integrating sustainability into the core pharma business strategy is essential for long-term success, analyses key focus areas and policy pushes which can incentivise companies to further evolve on the sustainability path
Drug Repurposing: Unlocking access to rare solutions
Drug repurposing, a quick, cost-effective path to deliver existing treatments to patients, can serve to expedite and expand healthcare access for patients with rare diseases
Optimising spend, maximising growth
Express Pharma, in partnership with IPA and CHEMEXCIL, powered by SAP, recently organised a thought leadership conclave on 'Reimagining spend management and supply chain' where cross functional experts explored strategies to drive value through supply chain transformation
