The Untapped Potential of e-Phramacy in Pakistan

The health crisis leads to a lack of healthcare services, and the current Covid-19 crisis has proven just that. It is the time of uncertainty where the chances of getting back to normal still seem far-fetched, especially with the emergence of a new, more deadly strain of the virus.

Like other countries, Pakistan has been struggling to fight off the pandemic while keeping the economy running. It managed the first wave of the virus well, but the second one is taking a heavy toll on the country’s fragile healthcare system.

The unprecedented pandemic has highlighted the importance of frontline healthcare workers, who are higher in demand now than ever before. Alongside, the need for the uninterrupted supply of medicines and personal protection gear has also increased manifold. This has given online pharmacy services a massive boost in Pakistan.

As the Covid-19 pandemic forced the skeptic Pakistanis to finally place their trust in e-commerce, the online pharmacy also saw increased levels of public trust. Due to this fact, in 2020, the share of online sales of medicines has risen by 4%.

Potential of E-Pharmacy Services in Pakistan

Online pharmacy, or e-pharmacy, is serving Pakistan’s increased medicine needs through websites, apps, and social media platforms promoting ‘contact-less’ deliveries. The delivery of healthcare items – largely medicines and personal protective equipment – by e-pharmacies is plugging the demand/supply gaps in the Pakistani healthcare industry.

It’s only in these Covid-ridden times that we have worked on valuating the true potential of e-pharmacy services; the industry is estimated to further expand by 2021 with better advancements of technology and services.

Besides meeting the individual medicine and PPE needs of Pakistanis, online pharmacies are also ensuring seamless supplies of medicines and PPEs to some hospitals through short- and long-term contracts. Besides, online pharmacies are also helping remote and underserved areas through smooth medical supplies.

The ability to purchase medical supplies through online channels is significant as stepping out of the safety of the house and going to crowded places are still discouraged by health authorities. Besides facilitating people in buying the medicines and medical gear effortlessly, online pharmacies are also making adherence to the Covid-19 SOPs possible.

Challenges faced by Online Pharmacies of Pakistan

When technology strikes in Pakistan, challenges are always in the way of development. Although the online pharmacy industry is growing in Pakistan, some challenges continue to keep it from achieving its true potential. Some of these challenges are as follows:

On-time deliveries in remote and restricted areas

Having reliable courier partners, online pharmacies are able to deliver orders highly effectively in urban centers, as well as some remote areas. But many remote and rural areas remain underserved due to reasons that range from connectivity issues to low digital literacy and poor supply infrastructure. Even in the urban centers, timely supplies to restricted or ‘red-zone’ areas remain a challenge.

Lack of industry regulations

Regulations are designed to benefit the economy by creating more jobs, keeping a quality check on products and services, nurturing and promoting technology, and ensuring workers’ health and productivity, etc. However, some online pharmacies are complaining that the government regulations on the sector are proving counterproductive, thus impeding its growth.

Lack of people’s trust in online drug buying

The much-needed and long-overdue shift to e-commerce in Pakistan can be called a blessing of the Covid pandemic, surely in disguise. People are trusting online retail channels more than they ever did, and this includes an enhanced level of trust in the e-pharmacy industry.

But, the trust deficit is not completely addressed yet, nor is the distrust completely unfounded. Counterfeit medicines and medical equipment are still a big challenge in Pakistan that needs some severe interventions and long-term policies.

Price differences

A noticeable difference between the prices of online and offline drugs has been observed with people being more inclined towards availing discounts. Besides the online delivery charges, the prices of the actual products also vary from pharmacy to pharmacy, confusing the buyer.

It is a challenge to stay connected with the people by offering them healthcare items on discounts and to compete with rivals. For some customers, the discounted rates may not be an issue, but delivery charges do make the online pharmacy option a bit expensive. Some e-pharmacies, therefore, have eliminated delivery charges while also offering discounts on products.

Counterfeit drugs

The offline medicine market is flooded with counterfeit drugs of all sorts. The same fear lingers when a person is purchasing drugs online: what if the drug I’m buying online is ineffective, or even hazardous to my health?

The thought takes a definite hit to the sales of online pharmacies, even the most genuine ones. The regulated and registered e-pharmacies sell only genuine and authorized products after seeing digital copies of authentic prescriptions. So, the trusted names in Pakistan’s medicine business can be relied on with complete confidence. Doing this will also discourage the counterfeit medicine industry.