In recent times, while the market for pharmacy home delivery in the UAE was steadily increasing, the current pandemic situation has led to an unparalleled surge in demand for home delivery. Most people now prefer to order-in all their medicines instead of stepping out to buy them.
As per SEMrush, the digital marketing analytics platform, searches for ‘online pharmacy’ in the UAE jumped 238%, while ‘pharmacy delivery’ searches climbed 184% between January and March 2020.
There have been some stellar examples of leading pharmacy chains taking the leap from traditional retail to online sales and home delivery, pharmacy aggregators and even online grocery businesses extending their operations to home deliver medicines.
A thorough understanding of customer dynamics and advanced delivery management technology are making this possible.
Here’s a look at the top 10 medicine delivery services in UAE using delivery management system
1.Medicina
Medicina is a group of over 80 healthcare outlets / pharmacies distributed all throughout the UAE. Launched in 2013, this pharmacy chain has been known for promoting health and bringing back care into the concept of total wellness by providing a cohesive and caring experience for their customers.
This unique approach is also reflected in their online sales and home delivery portal- medicinaonline.ae. Here patients can upload their prescription and other verification documents like Emirates ID and health insurance (card), take expert advice from qualified and trained staff, and avail free delivery at their doorstep.
They can also browse and buy from a vast range of products across vitamins and nutrition, home health care, first aid, beauty and personal care.
Medicina also has a well-equipped and connected fleet of vans and bikes to facilitate speedy deliveries to customers.
Putting to work a modern supply chain and advanced delivery management software, the group has been able to ensure a thriving and efficient pharmacy delivery business, without compromising on customer needs and expectations.
2.Aster Online
AsterOnline.com is the ecommerce portal from Aster Pharmacy, incorporated by Aster DM Healthcare. The company has over 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical retailing, and has been among the first pharmacy chains to go online.
It has positioned itself as an all-in-one shop offering prescription medicines as well as healthcare and wellness products, ranging from curative and nutritive products to wellness and rehabilitation, baby care, personal care and beauty products in addition to medical devices and equipment.
3.Lifepharmacy
LIFE is a retail pharmacy chain that was established in 1996 with a single store, and presently has over 200 outlets across the UAE viz., Pharmacies, Healthcare Hypermarkets and Health and Wellness stores.
The innovative group has many firsts to its credit – the first Healthcare Hypermarket, the first Drive-Thru pharmacy, and the first Shop-in-Shop concept in healthcare in the region. It has also won Superbrand status 5 times in a row.
The group’s official online store lifepharmacy.com houses a wide range of exclusive healthcare brands, including prescription medicines, vitamins and supplements, sports nutrition, orthopedics and rehabilitation, mother and baby care, and alternate medicine such as homeopathy.
4.Medisouq
Medisouq.com is an initiative of Biopharma FZE. Launched in 2017, it is a pharma aggregator business, that aims to serve customers by bringing together healthcare products and services under a single umbrella in the form of a complete health and wellness store.
It serves as a unique ecosystem, connecting customers to local pharmacies, and helping expand the reach of healthcare. Customers can take guidance on health concerns, upload prescriptions, order on-call or on the website and avail express home delivery within an hour.
5.BinSina
BinSina is a pharmacy chain in the UAE with a fast expanding network of 120+ stores. It was incorporated in 1965 and has a 50 years legacy of expertise in the world of health, wellness and nutrition.
The company aims to promote a healthy lifestyle by offering products across a broad range from Pharmacy and Healthcare, Vitamins and Supplements, Personal care, Skincare, Beauty and Cosmetics, and more. It prides itself on putting the customer needs first, and strives to assess and select the best available brands in the world for its customers.
6. 800 Pharmacy
800 Pharmacy is a licensed and approved pharmacy delivery service that offers 24/7 delivery of healthcare products across Dubai as well as Abu Dhabi.
Customers can download a user-friendly app on their smart phone, create their personalized health file, add their insurance and emirates, ID details, upload their prescriptions and choose from a wide range of health and pharmacy products. They can track their order status on the App and even benefit from loyalty programs.
7.Super-care
Supercare, part of the Gulf Marketing Group, is a premium pharmacy chain with over four decades of experience and 24/7 retail pharmacy stores offering a call-in and free home delivery service across UAE.
They have positioned themselves as a world-class health and wellness destination for the entire family, offering brands across international Nutrition, Pharma, Fitness, Skin Care and Lifestyle.
The have invested in qualified and trained multilingual staff, a premium derma-cosmeceutical consultation service, counselling service for diet and nutrition, specialized prescription and refill services, and also a section dedicated to alternative medicine.
8.Four Seasons Pharmacy
The Four Seasons Pharmacy is a well-known chain of pharmacies having a strong presence in Dubai for the last 30 years and offers quality and affordable healthcare products from 30 countries worldwide, across prescription medicines, vitamins, diet and fitness, mobility aids, baby and mother, personal care, etc.
Customers can upload prescriptions, get them dispensed online by trained pharmacists, and avail of same day home delivery.
9.SouKare
SouKare is a healthcare startup based in Dubai that leverages technology to enhance customer experience by offering a quick, simple and convenient way to shop for healthcare products.
As far as the product range is concerned, they offer multiple brands in corrective and colored contact lenses, sports nutrition, supplements, vitamins and personal care. Customers in Dubai can get their purchases delivered within 90 minutes, whereas their contact lens range is also shipped elsewhere in the UAE and abroad via express shipping.
10.InstaShop
InstaShop, originally part of the Jabbar Internet Group, is a one stop online Grocery home delivery company operating in the UAE and beyond. They have partnerships with various supermarkets across the region.
Just as they do with groceries, the company provides their customers a platform to shop effortlessly for medicines and healthcare products through a smart phone app, and have them delivered in 30-60 minutes.
Customers can use the InstaShop App to browse by category or common ailments or simply upload their prescriptions and have them dispensed.
Conclusion
Clearly, business dynamics in the pharmacy industry are evolving at a rapid pace. If you have a pharmacy business, then you know that customers today are expecting the same level of promptness, ease of use and responsiveness from pharmacy companies that they currently enjoy on global e-commerce portals.
A unified fleet and connected delivery management system can be that one thing making the difference between failure and success in your business:
Whether it is an intuitive user experience, an intelligent classification of healthcare products, expert consultation, insurance feedback or streamlined prescription dispensation, an integrated delivery management software can make all of these features available at the customer’s fingertips via a smartphone app.
End-to-end visibility on the order-to-delivery process, real time tracking of vehicles and drivers, automatic order allocation, route optimization and real time order tracking are some notable features that can help you dramatically increase your speed and efficiency and contribute to your bottom line.
So, where do you want to take your pharmacy business in 2021?
Act now, and call us for a free consultation today!
