E-Pharmacies Market in India

Indian E-Commerce industry is growing consistently across all the major segments & it’s becoming larger day by day. All the retail Segments are adapting & knowing as an E-segments in current market trend.  Recent entrants, E-pharmacy is amongst the one which is vigorously engaged since 1 year and delivering medicine at your door step. Apart from E-pharmacy, there are also available facilities of E-diagnostic, E- Lab Test, E-consultant/healthcare at best discounted price/package, and it is growing slowly in tier-2 & tier-3 cities.

E-pharmacies Market Players in India: Netmeds, 1mg ,PharmEasy, Medlife, Medplus, MedsOnWay, EasyMedico , mChemist,  and many other micro e-pharmacies.

Pharmaceutical market is mainly categorized into Chronic and Acute segment in India where E-pharmacies are expected to gain% Chronic medicine market out of Total Chronic medicine market. According to EY, currently 30-35% of domestic pharmaceutical market share relates to chronic medications and the remaining is to acute medicines. E-pharmacies market is an extreme potential and consumers have already adopted it in India where they are obtaining medicine at discounted price.  

However, it must require certain rules, regulations & policies for E-pharmacies likewise US, UK, Europe which can keep precise control over it and consumers should not have to suffer. Because, consumers are suffering from multiple problems despite of healthy advantages are given by E-pharmacies.  

Major problems are facing by Customers:

(1) Delivery Time

(2) Respond to Customers complaints

(3) Goods Return & Refund process 

(4) Breakage & defective in Medicine box

(5) Fraud Cases happening

(6) Delivery of Medicine not match according to order placed

(7) Missing Quantity according to given order

(8) Payment Deduct but Product not delivered

Such issues are happening repeatedly instead of improve & minimize. Brand image cannot sustain by providing heavy discount & offer, it can sustain & increase the brand value only by consumers’ satisfaction. Medicine is a kind of product which is connected to person’s health & life; it should not treat as a shopping of other consumable products like FMCG, Electronics, Apparel etc. Since the brands campaigning on TVC, Print, OOH, digital etc are conveying healthy discount & Cashback offer  in which the feel & emotions are expressing ‘an excitement & pleasure’ like do shopping & grab the discount/offer advantage.   

Brand communication playing a vital role to build & sustain brand image. Providing a discount/offer on medicine is definitely fine for any consumers but how it should communicate to consumer is most significant because ultimately to consume any medicine don’t like to any people. Hence, the campaign communication should effective which can align consumers to get reliable satisfaction & confidence. For any E-commerce transaction, consumers must feel satisfactory experience in order to increase brand equity & loyalty, and especially for E-pharmacy market, it can not take any risk as it is connected with patients. It can better to create brand communication & provide the services towards patients apart from Price discounts/offers.