Indian Post Offices May Sell Over-the-Counter Drugs

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs may soon be available in post offices across the country if an initiative by the drug makers and the government fructify. In a bid increase the access of essential drugs to consumers, pharma companies are in talks with the government to use post offices to sell OTC drugs.

The industry is also considering using the extensive marketing reach of global beverages giant PepsiCo in India for a similar initiative. “The government has around 1.5 lakh post offices across the country. We have been in talks with the government to use the network to sell OTC drugs and hope to start a pilot test within six months,” Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) president Ranjit Shahani told mediapersons on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit.

The initiative is taking time as drugs and post offices are with different ministries, and the proposal needs separate approval from both the departments. However, the pharma industry is planning to start a pilot test in some cities in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh soon. OTC drugs are medicines like contraceptives, essential cold and cough medicines, among others which consumers can buy without a doctor’s prescription.

Apart from being educated, postmen have good relationships with consumers and drugs manufactures can leverage this network which is now under-utilised, Mr Shahani added. Pharma companies are also exploring a arrangement with the PepsiCo to use the latter’s network to sell OTC drugs. “One can find Pepsi across the nook and corner of the country. We have put up a proposal to Pepsi Co to use their network in India. We have received a positive response.”