MedPlus launches India’s first pharmacy e-tailer service in Hyderabad

MedPlus, a leading pharmacy retailer with over 1240 stores across India, has launched India’s first of its kind pharmacy e-commerce service – ‘Click, Pick & Save’ in Hyderabad. Very soon the company is planning to expand this service to more than 50 cities in the country.

This is first of its kind service being provided to customers in India. Through this e-tailer service, one can search, select medicines, compare alternatives and place an order or just upload prescription and book order. “The main aim of this e-tailer service is to provide buyers the opportunity to harness the benefits of e-commerce in healthcare like never before,” said Dr Madhukar Gangadi, founder & CEO of MedPlus Health Services.

This new services helps the customers to pick the medicines within 6 hrs from the nearest MedPlus store and can save up to 15 per cent on cost of medicines and 5-30 per cent on FMCG products.

To avail the ‘Click, Pick & Save’ service, pharmacy customers can log onto www.medplusmart.com, search & select (from over 30,000 products) the medicines and FMCG products they need, or just scan & upload their prescription to the site, in which case a MedPlus representative will call and book the order.

As current government regulations do not allow medicines to be delivered to buyer’s homes, customers can pick up their order from their nearest MedPlus store in Hyderabad within six hours of placing an order. The online store offers lucrative discounts and let users book reward points with the FlexiRewards scheme of MedPlus.

“The new initiative is an important milestone for us and we are confident that it will revolutionize the retail pharmacy landscape in the country. Our aspiration is to provide customers with seamless shopping for medicines and other health and personal care items combining offline and online services. With the added convenience and benefits this service brings to the customers, we expect to double our consumer base within a year. We are all set to replicate this model shortly in the 12 states where we have presence,” Dr Madhukar added.

Dr Surendra Mantena, COO, MedPlus Health Services said that the online service not only guarantees availability of quality medicines to all customers anywhere in the city, but also provides valuable information about drug usage, side effects etc, and allows them to compare prices of equivalent brands.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?aid=87587&sid=1

Prospectus for engg, pharmacy courses online

The directorate of technical education released the prospectus for direct admissions to second year of professional degree courses in engineering and pharmacy, online for the first time this year. Like in the case of the Goa common entrance test, no print version of the prospectus will be made available for direct admissions, so students have to print and fill the form on the online prospectus.

The filled forms for direct admissions will be accepted by the directorate from June 24 to 27.

Engineering diploma holders can seek direct admissions to second year professional degree engineering courses in the streams of civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics, telecommunication, information technology and mining engineering, depending on the stream of their diploma degree.

"BSc degree holders shall be considered for admission to vacant seats, if any, under direct lateral entry into second year of degree course in engineering, only after filling the seats with eligible students from diploma stream," stated a provision in the prospectus.

These students will be eligible for admissions to BE degree courses in the streams of electrical and electronics, electronics and telecommunication, computer engineering and information technology.

For the admissions purpose, separate merit lists will be prepared and displayed for engineering courses for all eligible BSc degree holders and eligible diploma holders in engineering. There will also be a separate merit list for all eligible students for the pharmacy course.

All students for direct admissions will be considered only for general seats and no seats will be reserved for any category in the admission process.

The directorate of technical education plans to take all admission process to professional degree courses in Goa online in the near future and as a first step no printed prospectus has been sold this year for admissions to professional degree courses and direct admissions to second year of engineering and pharmacy degree courses.

http://www.goacom.com/goa-news-highlights/25792-prospectus-for-engg-pharmacy-courses-online

Ali Health to become Alibaba's pharmacy platform

After a 15-day share trade suspension, Hong Kong-listed Ali Health Information Technology announced on April 15 that it will acquire online pharmacy assets from its parent company Alibaba Group Holding, the largest e-commerce operator in China.

Ali Health will issue new shares and convertible bonds to Alibaba under the terms of the deal, which is estimated at about HK$19.4 billion (US$2.5 billion).

With the acquisition, Alibaba's stake in Ali Health will increase from 38% to 53%, Shanghai's China Business News reported. Ali Health will also sell convertible bonds to Alibaba, which will further increase the parent company's share to 54.6% if they are exchanged for common shares, the paper said.

As a result, the report said, Ali Health is expected to become the major growth driver of Alibaba's online pharmacy business.

Following the announcement of the acquisition, shares of Ali Health rose about 77% to HK$12 (US$1.54) in early trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange April 15, and the stock ended up 80.83% at HK$12.26 (US$1.57) at close of trade.

The paper said the online pharmacy assets Ali Health will acquire are held under Alibaba's TMall's pharmacy marketplace and include 186 online-licensed pharmacies that sell non-prescription medicines, medical equipment, contact lenses and health food supplements.

In the period March 2014 to March 2015, TMall Pharmacy posted revenues of 4.7 billion yuan (US$758 million), which helped to boost the value of the operations in the acquisition deal, the paper said.

In addition, the pharmacy launched an express delivery service in, Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou in February, allowing consumers to obtain medicine from their nearest bricks-and-mortar drug store within three hours of placing an online order. The service has boosted the value of the pharmacy's operations, the report said.

The 186 online pharmacies that will be transferred in the acquisition deal have Type C certification under China's internet and drug transaction services qualification system, the report said. This will help Ali Health set up a comprehensive distribution network and enhance its efforts to build a cloud computing technology-based medical services platform, according to the report.

Alibaba chief operating officer Zhang Yong told the paper that his group wants to take advantage of cloud computing technology to improve medical services in China.

According to the report, Alibaba is aiming to set up a system, using cloud computing technology that will allow interaction between patients and doctors. Patients will be able to seek advice and doctors will be able to issue prescriptions that can be filled via the group's medical services platform, the report said.

There is much room for growth in China's online medical services if the country lifts its tight controls on that line of business, the paper said.

In the United States, health costs account for about 15% of the country's gross domestic product, but in China with a population of 1.3 billion, the ratio is between 5% and 6%, the report said.

Apart from Alibaba, other two online business giants–Baidu and Tencent–are eyeing the huge growth potential of China's online pharmacy business, the report said.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20150419000011&cid=1102

Indian American Pharmacists Pledge to Create NJ PAC

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey, United States

Over 200 New Jersey independent pharmacy owners gathered Dec. 10 at the Deewan Banquet Hall here during the “Winter Pharmacy Summit: Recognizing Key Policy Makers and Discussing the Issues Confronting the Practice of Pharmacy,” where lead organizer Ritesh Shah raised issues confronting retail pharmacies.

“We are dealing with an unleveled playing field, PBMs, mail order operations, and others are not playing by the same set of rules that we have to follow” he remarked. “Tonight, we take the first step toward leveling that playing field and restoring equality to the industry.”

The event brought the leadership and members of many prominent pharmacy organizations, including representatives from the New Jersey Pharmacists Association, Garden State Pharmacy Owners, Indo-American Pharmaceutical Society and the Independent Pharmacy Alliance.

The pharmacy group announced their intentions to create a Political Action Committee named NJRxPAC.
“We need to educate our elected representatives. There is a misperception that we count pills for a living. We are professionals on the front line of healthcare,” said Mahesh Shah, who is on the steering committee for the PAC and is also a member of the Board of Pharmacy.

The PAC will have an Advisory Board that includes many prominent pharmacy owners.
Shah announced a bold agenda for the PAC.

“We will go to Trenton in March to fight for Audit Bill of Rights, and ask for legislation that mandates PBMs to update their pricing on a regular and frequent basis,” the Indian American announced.

The event was attended by Monmouth County Democratic chairman Vin Gopal, newly-elected Assemblyman Raj Mukerjee from New Jersey’s 33rd Legislative District, and Assemblyman Gary Schaer from the state’s 36th District, who is also the deputy speaker for the New Jersey state Assembly.

Read more at http://www.indiawest.com/news/16288-indian-american-pharmacists-pledge-to-create-nj-pac.html#83SGP85hiV4M3Ppe.99

India may need services of 7 lakh registered pharmacists by 2025: Dr C S Raju

Recognizing the role of pharmacists in healthcare management system, government should chalk out adequate programmes to utilize the competence of professional pharmacists for maintaining good healthcare delivery in the private and public sectors, according to Dr C Srinivasa Raju, chairman of the IT Committee of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

He said India will need the services of seven lakh qualified and registered pharmacists in the year 2025 as per IMA estimation.

Though IMA envisages no specific programme for pharmacists alone, the association will always support a balanced development of all teams attending the healthcare dispensation. However, it has to be noted that compared to other countries, the pharmacist community in India is not getting due attention with other team members, said the IMA office-bearer while chatting with Pharmabiz.

“Pharmacists are and always should be members of the health care teams and their roles should be recognized. At present, India has about 11 lakh registered pharmacists working in various capacities in the healthcare industry. However, the role of pharmacists is not established in the Indian healthcare scenario unlike in developed countries where they are the authority on drug dispensation,” he said.

The IMA leader wanted the government and the private sectors to provide maximum opportunities for pharmacists to serve the ill-healthy people. According to him, even though universities in India are producing skilled and efficient pharmacists with a view to serve pharmaceutical companies, retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, community pharmacies and other government bodies related to health and research, the government and the private sector are not yet ready to absorb them in services. The situation has to be changed. The IMA would do its maximum to establish a role for the pharmacists in the healthcare teams, he assured.

Dr Raju, who is the chairman of the Hospital Board of India, Andhra Pradesh state, suggested that the Ministry of Fertilizers & Chemicals and the Department of Pharmaceuticals should consider giving financial assistance to pharmacists by encouraging them to open Jan Oushadhi Medical Stores in places where ever possible, especially in rural areas. If the government is ready to appoint pharmacists in all the Public Health Centres and Community Health Centres, India will now need the services of 60,000 pharmacists in the public sector alone per day.

“World Health Organisation recommends a ratio of one pharmacist for two thousand population in order to provide optimal healthcare. So now, India’s demand for the drug dispensers is six lakh which is available. Whereas, in the year 2025, the country’s population is estimated to increase to 140 crores, and then we will obviously need seven lakh pharmacists for the pharmacy services,” said Dr Raju.

He further said the global demand for pharmacy graduates in the academic and research institutions, pharmaceutical industry, hospitals and other health related institutions is increasing in rapid pace both in India and abroad.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=79588&sid=1

Pharmacy associations chalk out plans to empower pharmacists

Associations representing the pharmacy practice and trade have decided to initiate a number of steps to empower the pharmacist community, even as they vowed to continue with the efforts to bring in necessary amendments to the laws and press the government to implement the existing laws effectively.

With a view to fill the gap between the pharmacy education and the industry needs, the Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association (IPGA) is planning to launch an orientation course for the fresh graduates, association leader P P Sharma disclosed, while taking part at a panel discussion in the just-concluded Indian Pharmaceutical Congress (IPC) which had the central theme “Pharma Vision 2020: Empowering pharmacists.”

“Pharmacists should be empowered through legislation and can also earn empowerment through deeds. There is some representation of pharmacists in the manufacturing sector, but in the distribution sector enough opportunities are not there. We are pressing the government to make necessary rules to make sure that the basic qualification for wholesalers should be pharmacy, instead of the current norm of matriculation,” he said.

“We will take up with the government the issue of having a registered pharmacist in a drug store mandatory. Maharashtra has made an initiative and it has made good impact also,” said Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) president J A S Giri.

All India Drug Control Officers’ Association (AIDCOC) president Dhilipkumar said the organisation would approach the labour ministry to implement minimum wages rules for the pharmacists, especially working in the drug stores. “We are also trying to take the Maharashtra model across the country with the help of the officials in the drug administration,” he added.

Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) president Dr M D Burande urged the government and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to amend the rules to make sure that each hospital should have a pharmacy post-graduate or D.Pharm holder to work as director of pharmacy, instead of leaving this job to the medical doctor.

“We can also empower ourselves through the commitment to the profession,” he reminded the pharmacists community, while calling for symbols, dress code and technical skills to empower the pharmacists.

Dr S L Nasa, president of Indian Hospital Pharmacists Association (IHPA), lamented that the hospital pharmacy in the country was yet to emerge. “We have been pressing the Medical Council of India (MCI) to make laws for appointing pharmacists as head of the hospital pharmacies. But nothing has happened so far,” he said.

PCI president Dr B Suresh asked the pharmacists to reach out to the community to make them aware of the significance of pharmacists in the health management.

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=79432&sid=1

Pharma HR society to turn grads employable

NAGPUR: A huge number of pharmacy students graduate each year in India but a large majority of them remains unemployed due to lack awareness about possible job opportunities. Now, experts from the industry have formed an organization for alliance between academia and the industry to bridge this gap.

Speaking to reporters here on Friday, president of the Pharma HR Society of India (PHRSI) Akhilesh Mishra from Mumbai said that ideally the pharmacy syllabus should be job oriented and should include aspects of industry, research, regulation etc. "Unfortunately, the syllabus doesn't incorporate all these. Hence PHRSI, formed two years back, has taken up the task of connecting the academics with the industry. Pharmacy graduates and post-graduates produced at present are not employable," he said.

Mishra was in the city for a seminar on 'Pharmaceutical industrial expectations: today and tomorrow' organised by the Smt Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy (SKBCP) in Kamptee.

Since sales and marketing has good scope for absorbing pharmacists with relatively fair salaries, the graduates do not bother to look at other options. The pharma industry also has scope in fields like research and development, production, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, quality control and Intellectual Property Rights. The association, which is mainly working for the human resource (HR) development of pharmacists, is trying to create awareness among students through seminars, workshops and conferences and field visits about these areas too. Pharmaceutical industry has enough scope in research and can even absorb doctorates at high posts, Mishra said.

Principal of SKBCP and vice-president of PHRSI Milind Umekar said the association had 13 HR managers who worked exclusively for creating awareness among the students. "International market too has enough opportunities for pharmacy graduates. It also needs skilled manpower. We are trying to convert our educated students into skilled ones," he said. Salil Pendse, vice-president (HR wing) of the association, and Ruturaj Tanak, senior HR manager, explained that at present the industry spent at least six months to two and half years in training fresh graduates for their jobs in industry. The association was trying to take up this work to reduce industry's burden.

Sumit Salunkhe, plant head, and Vijay Kumar, HR head of Lupin in city, SKBCP director G S Bhoyar and associate professor Ravi Kalsait were also present.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-05/nagpur/45881796_1_hr-head-pharma-industry-graduates