Medicine Shoppe International is set to storm the Rs 26,000-crore Indian pharmacy retail market. It specialises in prescription drugs besides providing quality health care service and attention. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health Inc, a Fortune 200 corporation.

Medicine Shoppe does not own a single store but allows the pharmacist to use its banner provided they stick to their conformity with `The Medicine Shoppe' system. In each country, all the stores are owner-operated franchisees. The company charges a fixed fee from the retailers for the various business tools it provides. Franchisees are provided with online marketing programmers, marketing support, help in setting up store and operational support by way of proprietary and user friendly Medicine Shoppe software. The company provides support with promotional material store-owners can customise with their own photos and information. Like other programmes, materials can be used, or not, at the store owners' discretion.

Speaking about the new concept in India, Mr Viraj Gandhi, managing director, Medicine Shoppe India, said: "Medicine Shoppe's involvement fulfils a variety of needs." It provides local retailers and entrepreneurs with the skill and knowledge required to improve their operating skill towards achieving global standards and fighting organised competition.

Mr Gandhi said the company is different from a regular chemist as it's more spacious (minimum 500 sq ft) and uncluttered, and stocks drugs and all varieties of health-related products. "This is because we believe that the customers, instead of standing on the road, and placing the prescription in front of the salesman, should be in a position to walk into the store and feel more comfortable." All drugs are stored at 25 degree centigrade so that quality of medicine does not deteriorate. While half the store is devoted to prescription medical items, the other half is a super store of health-related items like health drinks, nature products, personal hygiene items, etc.

Each one has a qualified pharmacist who offers do's and don'ts and precautions regarding medications dispensed, including fact-sheets on diabetic medications, heart medications, vitamins, etc, and also checks on pre-existing drug allergies, warns on adverse drug reactions and provides the latest health information. He also maintains customer prescription records for a period of two years so that if two drugs prescribed to the patient interact negatively with each other, suitable advise can be sought.

Further, workshops and checkups are organised for creating awareness on health issues, he added.

All customers are given a Medicine Shoppe membership card with a unique membership number. They can use this card to avail benefits at Medicine Shoppe outlets all over India. Besides these benefits, the registered pharmacy customers are eligible for free medical screening and advice from a panel of doctors every Saturday afternoon, and can participate in special sessions on nutrition, PMS and menopause, diabetes, cholesterol, osteoporosis and eye-care. They can also avail of discounts on health related items, depending upon which company wants to step in for a promotion. Mr Gandhi adds that women, who spend Rs 1,500 on medical products during pregnancy, can subsequently get five per cent off on baby products for a period of six months.

"Community programmes are not only very effective marketing tools for us, but they do good, too. We call this community pharmacy," he adds. According to the Indian Pharmaceutical Association: "Community pharmacy is aimed at supporting the pharmacist's role in patient care with an eye towards the future when pharmacy-based disease management services will be a key link in the managed care continuum, patient services and community-based programmes, which will be a unique factor here."

Through this approach, the pharmacists simultaneously enhance the overall benefit and reduce costs by taking into account medical complications and waste that occur when consumers misuse prescriptions drugs, which ultimately cost more money and compromises patients' health.

The `community pharmacist' has the potential to revolutionise the Indian pharmaceutical industry by offering customers quality, service, value and professionalism. For, value added customers service and a qualified full-time pharmacist are bound to be important factors in building customer relationships and loyalty.

Of course, the company is not trying to replace the neighbourhood doctor? "Medicine Shoppe is not a substitute for a doctor," reiterates Mr. Gandhi. "We do not claim to be one. We are behind a doctor, not a replacement."Even the pharmaceutical industry agrees with him. Says Mr H F Khorakiwala, chairman of Wockhardt: ``Professionalism of the chemist is important. There are several new drugs coming and it is important to know the consequent reactions and complications that could arise. And, maintaining records of customer prescription is a step in the right direction."

With the country having approximately 14,000 government hospitals, sources maintain that there is no proper centralised hospital pharmacy set up for procurement, storage and issue of medicines under the charge of a qualified pharmacist. This then is where the tremendous potential lies.

Within a year of operations in India, through its master franchisee Melrose Trading Company, Medicine Shoppe India has set up pharmacies at Andheri and Kandivli in Mumbai, at Nerul in New Mumbai, and in Calcutta and Vadodara.

This year, the company plans to expand all over the country and establish its franchises at about 200 more locations with a big focus on smaller Indian towns.