Indian Pharmacy shoppe to roll out in Maharashtra soon

The All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) has come out with a unique Pharmacy Shoppe retail model, which will prove to be a boon to lakhs of pharmacists and druggists across the country, according to its President JS Shinde.

Shinde told reporters here that the model, presented at the 71st meeting of the International Pharmaceuticals Federation (FIP) at Hyderabad recently will be rolled out in Maharashtra very soon on a pilot basis.
He said pharmacists from 130 countries attended the four-day meeting during which lectures on patient counselling, community pharmacists role, care and medicines were held.
The Indian Pharmacy Shoppe was inaugurated by Dr M Buchman, President of FIP and IPA President Dr C Gopal Krishmurti, Pharmacy Council of India President Dr B Suresh, and Dr H Nakrani of the WHO.
Shoppe would guide as to how to give economical and quality service to patients or customers besides giving proper direction to all pharmacy shoppe across the globe, Shinde said.
He further said the project was a dream of AIOCD and its pharmacy retail chain is vibrant comprising 5.5 lakhs chemists spread all over the country.
Explaining the changing scenario he said that the Centre has already opened gates for foreign direct investment (FDI) and therefore many big houses have already entered into retail pharma trade in metro cities.
International players are also looking to target this pharma trade in India which is around 50,000 crores. This will affect the present trade and is a threat to the existing retailers and wholesalers in India.
He said looking at the danger, AIOCD decided to launch the project of its own members by converting its traditional pharmacy store into organised retail chain. For this AIOCD has floated AIOCD Limited to start a supply chain company on pan-India basis. The company has decided to compete with
incoming Indian and International Pharmacy chains instead of opposing them.
He further said that the AIOCD has changed itself in to a corporate body to execute all its aim of educating chemists, benefits of genuine products at affordable price to the end user, cold chain management, flaw less distribution of medicines and above all patient counseling to satisfy the needs of the customer. Todays unorganized retail business shall be converted into organized retail chain.
The company has initiated this project in Maharashtra as a pilot one. It has arranged professional training programs to the existing retailers, Patient Counseling Courses (PCC) in upgrading their knowledge and skill. Every Pharmacist is getting trained for minimum 16 days under technical and behavioral subjects to stand out as the BEST amongst all.
These courses are conducted with the guidance and cooperation of learned faculty members which includes eminent doctors, professors, industrialists and management personnel. Keeping in mind that the vital part of any business is the end user i.e. customer satisfaction, AIOCD is changing the mindset of its members to give all sorts of additional services which today's customer expect.
He declared that AIOCD Ltd was poised to launch its retail chain very soon in Maharashtra. Initially 100 existing retails stores will be converted into AIOCD