Even as heated debate on online pharmacy is going on among health activists and pharma traders, a new model of online business of traditional medicines has been kicked off in Chennai by the multi-state co-operative society, Indian Medical Practitioners Co-operative Pharmacy and Stores Ltd (Impcops), operating near Adayar in the city.
 
The new scheme introduced for ISM online trade is christened as “Illam Thedivarum Impcops Marunthukal” (Impcops Medicines at your Doorsteps), and for the growth of the scheme Impcops has entered into an agreement with one courier company which will do home delivery of the medicines ordered by a customer, said the newly elected president of Impcops, Dr R Kannan. The online trade is going on very well for the last a few days and very good orders are getting on line.
 
While sharing details with Pharmabiz, he said the Society now manufactures and supplies 660 varieties of medicines of Siddha, Ayurveda and Unani systems. All these drugs are available to any person anywhere in the state through online order. Since retail outlets of the medical practitioners’ society are not that much in rural areas, people can avail the medicines through online. The drugs will be delivered to the customer on the second day. Those who want Impcops medicines can make a missed call to the numbers 9710105678 and 9710205678. The office of the Impcops in Chennai will respond to the missed calls.

Dr. Kannan said the new Board of Administration plans to increase the quantity of the yearly manufacture of medicines from the present quantity of 4 lakh kg to 4.5 lakh kg. Along with the quantity, it has plans to increase the quality of drugs produced at its manufacturing units in Chennai and in Vijayawada. The raw materials procured from the farmers will be tested before use at the laboratory of the society.  If the quality of raw drugs is low, the tender contract with the farmer will be cancelled.
 
He said the prices of Impcops drugs will be reduced from the existing rates so as to supply medicines at reasonable rates to the poor people of the state. The demand of Siddha drugs is increasing in the international market. So, shortly Impcops will get into export of ISM drugs to western countries and to the middle east.
 
He further said the Ayush Conference held in Dubai last month gave wide opportunities for Ayurveda and Siddha drugs to enter into overseas market. Though the government owned manufacturing company of ISM drugs, Tamil Nadu Medical Plant Farms & Herbal Medicine Corporation Limited (TAMPCOL), and one or two private players are in the forefront in production, Impcops wanted to be their number one competitor in the near future. Impcops is the only one manufacturer which produces more than 600 variety of traditional medicines, he added.