Hyderabad-based MedPlus launches online service in Chennai

Company plans to expand its footprint to 500 stores in Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad-based MedPlus, one of India's leading pharmacy retail chain, today launched its online service - 'Click, Pick & Save' in Chennai. The retailer is looking to double its market share in the state by expanding its footprint of over 250 stores to around 500, and combine it with online service to harness the benefits of e-commerce.

'Click, Pick & Save' is one of an e-commerce initiative, where by customers can log onto their portal, search for medicines and read important facts about their usage, side effects, precautions to be taken etc, and compare among alternative branded and generic medicines along with their prices.

Customers can also place an online order request for about 30,000 different medicines and FMCG products and pick up their orders from a chosen store MedPlus store in any part of the city within six hours of placing an order, said Madhukar Gangadi, Founder & CEO, MedPlus Health Services.

Surendra Mantena, COO, MedPlus Health Services, said that the online service removes the uncertainty from the medicine buying experience and ensures availability of medicines to all customers anywhere in the city.

"Our online service is completely in compliance with the government regulations and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. and we do not engage in any direct sale of medicines to customers without a prescription and delivery of medicines directly to the customers' locations," he said.

The company has launched this service in Hyderabad last month and now in Chennai and Bengalaru and plans to expand the service soon to the top 50 cities across the country.

Currently the company has around 1,240 pharmacies across the country and 40 of these stores are franchisee run. In the next four years it plans to increase it to 10,000 and most of the new stores, will be franchisee.