applied to join the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) program, aimed at helping local startups to launch and accelerate. From there, they connected with more pharmacies through several networks and finalized a business model.<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare currently has a network of 400 pharmacies across the country, with key partners being Boots, Facino and Lab Pharmacy making up around half of their network and the rest being smaller sized and local neighborhood pharmacies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\u201cWith our insights on community pharmacy practice and knowledge of their pain points, it was easy to recruit pharmacies to join our network,\u201d says Jinnipa, \u201cthey maintain their in-store prices, and get increased visibility with us online.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare is the technology enabler between pharmacies and patients, so as a telepharmacy platform, the company doesn\u2019t require specific licenses according to current regulations. Companies that offer telemedicine, however, require their own license.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cTelepharmacy providers leverage the pharmacies\u2019 license to operate while we offer the digital tools they need,\u201d says Jinnipa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe PharmCare experience<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
For users at home who may be under the weather, or experiencing common illnesses such as diarrhea or bloating, it\u2019s much easier to order over-the-counter medication on demand. PharmCare offers on-demand delivery, with licensed medical professionals to guide you through a basic virtual check-up before putting in an order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nUsers have to simply add PharmCare as a friend on Line, and take it from there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe pandemic accelerated digitizations across many sectors,\u201d said Jinnipa, \u201cand it made a lot of Thais more comfortable with using their phones and applications for different services.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThis is why Jinnipa is confident in PharmCare\u2019s mass adoption, the barrier to use is very low.<\/span><\/p>\nThe platform and services are suited for users with everyday conditions, from colds to constipation and even Covid-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe saw a slight uptick in Covid patients with milder symptoms who are self-isolating at home,\u201d says Jinnipa. \u201cThey would message us on Line to check their symptoms, video call with a pharmacist and buy Covid-relief medicine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nCovid-19 and common illnesses aside, suitable customers for PharmCare are also people who are on medication, such as allergies or diabetics. They are able to order medication monthly from the platform, as opposed to popping out to the pharmacy every other week to buy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nOne benefit of leveraging Line\u2019s platform is the built-in user base and potential customers, people also won\u2019t have the hassle of signing up to experiment with a new platform.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is PharmCare trying to solve?<\/h2>\n \u201cWe are trying to break down the barriers in healthcare,\u201d says Jinnipa, \u201cby providing ease of access to quality healthcare services.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare is ultimately working to make medical supplies more accessible to everyone, with just the tap of their phones. This is the starting point of the business; by being that bridge of convenience, quality and trust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\u201cWe solve frictions by matching patients with quality pharmacists of closest proximity, as well as give them access to certified health professionals if they need guidance and consultation,\u201d says Jinnipa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBeyond convenience, PharmCare is also allowing their users to save money, much like how their corporate partners are adding PharmCare\u2019s solutions to their clients.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter the consultation with pharmacists, pharmacists will offer customers medicine prices on PharmCare\u2019s platform without any markups and the price matches each pharmacy\u2019s offline store. It is up to the partners to determine their own pricing strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe nature of community pharmacies is exactly that,\u201d Jinnipa points out. \u201cEach pharmacy has different costs, depending on its scale and location. We allow them to maintain this online.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nChain stores, for example, price their medicine higher than your neighbourhood pharmacy, but both businesses may cater to different customer groups and product segments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare partners with several last-mile partners for on-demand delivery and work with nationwide and local couriers for more rural areas-making medicine really accessible to everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nCompetitive Advantage<\/h2>\n You know you\u2019re solving the right problems when the sector is filled with competitors who are tackling similar frictions at different angles. We talk to Jinnipa about the bustling healthcare tech space and how PharmCare differentiates.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhilst a lot of startups and corporates are jumping into the space these past few years,\u201d says Jinnipa, \u201cmost of them focus on being service providers and connecting with hospitals. We focus on being the enabler of medicine dispensing and delivery service.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nWell, what about the likes of Grab and LineMan\u2019s role in medicine delivery? Both already have messenger services that pick up medicine for users, but Jinnipa says PharmCare is more than just a pickup and drop-off service by offering consultations with qualified pharmacists and healthcare professionals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n40% of PharmCare\u2019s customer base is upcountry, and this grew quickly since the platform\u2019s shift to B2C in April. Whilst Bangkok is the key city, there\u2019s no denying that there is also demand for medicine delivery services in less urban areas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAll Thais use Line,\u201d says Jinnipa. \u201cThis already gives us an advantage because we don\u2019t have to convince new customers to download an extra application.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nFor customers outside of Bangkok, PharmCare actually incentivizes them by partnering with local community pharmacies in areas such as Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Chiang Mai and the pharmacists themselves advertise PharmCare to their customers.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cCustomer discovery for us happens nationwide through online channels and our pharmacy network, which greatly compliments each other,\u201d says Jinnipa<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare is able to provide real value to customers in less developed areas, because it\u2019s not necessarily easy to walk to a department store to find a Boots or a large pharmacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Looking Ahead: Preventive Care<\/h2>\n The ultimate goal for PharmCare is to do its part in providing greater access to quality healthcare in Thailand. One key way to do this is to work with partners to enhance access to healthcare by creating integrated solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWe want to tackle preventive healthcare too,\u201d says Jinnipa. \u201cSo, our mission would be to track and support people\u2019s health before illnesses happen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nPharmCare is on a mission to transform healthcare and grow beyond telemedicine, watch this space.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Most consumer-facing industries and business models are primed for disruption. In fact, most services we use in our daily lives have already been disrupted by technology. Food delivery,\u00a0 Ecommerce, streaming to property and car rentals. There\u2019s an easier, digitized way to do most things. The same logic applies to healthcare, an industry packed with incumbents, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2499,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[857,861,860,856,859,588,858],"yoast_head":"\n
Brand Spotlight: PharmCare - Bitesize<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n