Corporates have turned medicine sales into business

Aurangabad, May 22:

The online and corporate companies have made the sales of medicines a business rather than a service. The temptation to discount is creating confusion among patients. We now have to provide value-added services to patients in order to survive in this competition, said Jagannath Shinde, president of All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD). He was speaking in a meeting organised by the Aurangabad District Chemists and Druggist Association, in the city recently.

Pharmacists from Aurangabad, Jalna and Beed districts were present for the meet. Speaking further he said, we will have to provide the patients with the medicines in their budget. Only then can we survive in this competition. There is a huge influx of big capitalists in the pharmaceutical business. Bargaining power can only grow if we come together and compete with them by opening large retail pharmacy stores and setting up large wholesale firms for bulk purchases. Pharmacists should use modern technology. He also said that the shop should have a customer friendly atmosphere. State vice president Arun Barakse, Marathwada zone president Chandrasekhar Gade, secretary Kushal Jain, Deepak Kothari, Jalna district president Sainath Pawar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.