After Amazon, Flipkart eyes e-pharmacy business, begin talks: Report

After Amazon India, Walmart-owned Flipkart is planning to enter the online pharmacy segment that has significant traction amid the Covid-19 pandemic, says a Times of India report.

"Flipkart is building its own team internally for the e-pharmacy business. But it has also held early-stage partnership talks with PharEasy even as the Mumbai-based e-pharmacy firm is said to be in advanced discussions to acquire Bengaluru-based rival Medlife," the Times of India report said, quoting sources.

Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy has held multiple rounds of talks with PharmEasy’s founding team, the Times of India report said.

Healthtech start-ups like 1mg, PharmEasy, and Medlife have seen strong growth in the past few months as people turned to online platforms to order their medicines while maintaining social distancing amid the pandemic.

Recently, Amazon launched Amazon Pharmacy in Bengaluru allowing customers to order prescription-based medication, in addition to over-the-counter medicines, basic health devices, and Ayurveda medication from certified sellers. E-pharmacies need to register with the Central Licencing Authority for selling prescription drugs online.

Meanwhile, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists has pointed out that the launch was illegal in a letter addressed to Jeff Bezos. The letter has also been addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other top ministers and government officials. AIOCD said Prime Minister Modi, and other ministers and secretaries should take note that Amazon India is operating "illegal e-pharmacy" which apart from being against the law is against the interest of the public health of the country.

AIOCD has told Amazon that it is amply clear that ‘home delivery’ cannot be undertaken by any online pharmacy and entities doing so are already facing contempt of court proceedings in India.

According to analysts, Amazon has launched the pharmacy service in India at a time when there is a tremendous demand for such services which are delivering essential medicines to patients amid the Covid-19 pandemic. An increasing number of people are buying products online and avoiding visiting the stores due to fears of catching the virus.