e-Pharmacy Model: Myths & Misconceptions
Concept of e-Pharmacy
Flipkart, Amazon, Snap deal and many
more companies introduced the idea of online retail marketing almost a decade
back. In India, advent of e-pharmacyoccurredabout five years ago. This comes
under the pursuit of Drugs and Cosmetic Act, 1940, Information Technology Act,
2000 and Indian Medical Act, 1956. Indian laws allow selling of medicines only
by registered and licenced pharmacy and a registered pharmacist on payroll. Acceptance
of orders for medicines are subjected to regions where the pharmacy retail
licence is applicable. Medicines before delivery ought to be verified by
certified and registered pharmacist. The customer’s record has to be maintained
and shouldn’t sold medicines without prescription. Certain activities are
banned including selling medicines to minors under 18, banned drugs and selling
of medicines at higher price than retail cost.
Three models of e-Pharmacy
1. Organised e-Pharmacy
Commercial place model and inventory-
based model work under this category. Technological company associates a
neighbour licensed pharmacies to an end customer, this account to commercial
place model while inventory- based model is where e- pharmacy is an online
service provider to offline authorised pharmacy.
There are many organised best medicine app in India, which tend to follow all necessary steps to ensure easy and safe delivery. Every
order is validated by a team of registered pharmacists and without valid
prescription the medicines aren’t dispensed. With all conditions met, the order
is delivered with a temper proof pack. Additional information about the side
effects of a prescribed medicine will be provided to customers. Every order
will be kept track to prevent self-medication or drug abuse.
2. Non- organised e-Pharmacy
In this type, medicines ordered don’t
have any validated prescription and no qualified drug specialist is available
to check the validity of the same. Also, there is no audit of record keeping.
·
Illegal international
exchange
In this type, medicines are dispatched
across international borders without prescription and approval from authorized
body.
The public usually consider all
e-pharmacies to be unlawful and fail to distinguish between the organised
market and distorted business. But, with government intervention, there is a
set standard that ought to be followed to establish the online pharmacy.
3. Revolving Myths
There is an assumption that the
e-pharmacy system is been run to drug people or cheat them over retail price
rate. But, in reality they function to make customer’s life easier with doorstep
delivery and accessibility to every required medicine. Fear of cyber-crime is
generally linked to this market, due to maintenance of data record of the
customer’s orders. Well, the orders record track is followed to avoid misuse of
drugs and at times used to plan on public health policies. There’s also a
hearsay on crisis of offline pharmacy’s sustainability. This isn’t possible
because, offline pharmacies can run its store in both offline and online mode
or can collaborate with any licenced e-Pharmacy which would reduce working
capital requirement. It’s usually believed that the market of online pharmacy
has self-centric motive but in reality it boosts every small sector pharmacy
retail and contribute to the growth of ecommerce.
Every business has its own boons and
banes. When considered online marketing, there prevails lot of misconceptions
as it becomes a factor of trust issues. No market can expect profit if it does
not establish faith within the customers. But, equal responsibility is shared
by buyers too, as they should encourage newly introduced supportive system and
utilise the same for better living.
Law and government set standards should be followed
as responsible citizens by both retailer and customers.
This will help the
system to run legally and systematically without any chaos of thoughts.
Situations like lockdown can make things impossible to function and health
being the most important factor has to be considered at most priority. Every
being can avail the medicines for their pre-existing sickness or any other
common illness being at home without any worries.
Myths and misconceptions will
part the innovation away from possible development, be it in any market or
field. Pull your confidence together and enjoy the privileges available.Don’t
judge the whole system based on some wrong deed performed by culprits. Behave
as professional beings to wash the false talks away about the e-Pharmacy
industry.
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