Pharmacy Delivery: Online Orders and Courier Delivery

A pharmacy can take delivery orders on its own website, mobile app and Telegram bot: the customer finds a medicine by name or by INN (international nonproprietary name), places an order, the courier delivers it and the customer follows on a map. Prescription drugs get a separate confirmation step.

According to Delever, pharmacy delivery is one of the fast-growing e-commerce segments in Uzbekistan: customers want to order medicine without going out, especially in cold season and those who take medicine regularly. Below we write what a pharmacy needs.

Key points:

• Delever gives pharmacies a branded website, app and Telegram bot.
• Search by name and INN works, and prescription and non-prescription drugs can be separated.
• For medicine a customer takes regularly, a refill reminder can be set up.

What does an online channel give a pharmacy?

The customer orders without coming to the pharmacy, while the pharmacy collects its own customer base and sells without marketplace commission. This is especially handy for people who can't leave home, for night orders and for regular medication.

The order and the customer stay in your database. As a result you see which medicine is bought often, which customer comes back and when to send a reminder.

What should the medicine catalog look like?

The catalog should include name, manufacturer and search by INN, categories, a photo of the package and the price. If the customer can't find the medicine fast, they won't order.

For pharmacies Delever gives:

• categories for medicines and vitamins, package photos;
• search by name, brand name and INN;
• separation of prescription and non-prescription drugs;
• connection to the pharmacy register and accounting systems: stock is updated;
• courier app and GPS tracking;
• repeating a previous purchase quickly through the Telegram bot.

How can prescription drugs be handled?

Prescription drugs get a separate mark, and extra confirmation is set up when ordering. For example, the customer may be asked to upload a photo of the prescription, or the order may be confirmed by a call from a pharmacist.

Legal requirements differ by country and type of drug, so set the rules yourself with a lawyer, then configure them on the platform. We give no legal advice here.

How is delivery organized?

A pharmacy can deliver with its own couriers or through an external service. The courier app works with GPS, and the customer follows the delivery. Speed matters for medicine, so compact delivery zones are better.

A pharmacy that hasn't hired couriers can start with external courier services: about delivery without couriers. In a pharmacy chain with many branches, each branch connects with its own stock, and an order is routed to the nearest pharmacy that has the medicine.

How do you keep a regular customer?

A customer who takes medicine regularly gets a refill reminder: a message arrives as the medicine runs low, and the customer repeats the order in one tap. This keeps the customer tied to the pharmacy.

Delever CRM lets you send a push or Telegram reminder based on order history. RFM analysis is also useful for grouping the customer base. You can give a bonus or promo code through loyalty too.

What should you pay attention to?

Medicine sales are regulated by law, so before starting online sales check licenses and rules. Pay attention to shelf life and storage conditions too: some medicines need a certain temperature. The platform helps here, for example by letting you track an order from the moment it was prepared, but responsibility lies with the pharmacy.

Conclusion

• Prepare the medicine catalog with name and INN search.
• Set a confirmation rule for prescription drugs.
• Start delivery with an external courier service and turn on refill reminders.

We show how to launch an online channel for your pharmacy in Delever: delever.io or @delever_bot on Telegram.