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PharmEasy: Simplifying Healthcare Access
Introduction PharmEasy, founded by Dharmil Sheth and Dr. Dhaval Shah in 2015, has become a leading healthcare platform in India, offering a range of services from medicine delivery to diagnostic tests.
Growth and Success PharmEasy’s user-friendly app and wide network of pharmacies have enabled it to serve millions of customers across India. The company achieved unicorn status in 2021, underscoring its pivotal role in the digital healthcare space.
Future Prospects PharmEasy plans to expand its services further, including teleconsultations and comprehensive health management, making healthcare more accessible and convenient for all.
Inshort
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | HealthcareE-commerceInformation technologyRetail |
| Founded | 2015; 9 years ago |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Number of locations | 1000+ cities in India (2021)[1] |
| Area served | India |
| Services | Medicine delivery Healthcare services |
| Revenue |  ₹6,644 crore (US$800 million) (FY23) |
| Net income |  ₹−2,289 crore (US$−270 million) (FY23) |
| Website | www.pharmeasy.in |
Competition
PharmEasy competes with other e-pharmacy companies including Netmeds (which was acquired by Reliance Industries), 1mg (acquired by Tata Group), Apollo 24×7 and Amazon Pharmacy.The Ken questioned the company’s positioning as a unified healthtech player and referred to the company’s story as “more confusing than convincing”.
Criticism
Medlife–PharmEasy merger protests
In 2020, PharmEasy and Medlife were in merger talks which came to the attention of the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which approves such mergers. The merger was protested by The South Chemist and Distributors Association (SCDA), who objected that sales of medicines online was illegal in India. The online sales of medicines was later regulated and the merger was completed in 2021.
PharmEasy advertisement
Members of the Hindu religion criticized one of the company’s advertisements and said that religious sentiments were hurt for the sake of marketing and sales. The advertisement in question showed Lakshman being struck and Ram needing Sanjeevani, asking who will bring the medicine from such a long distance. Two PharmEasy employees arrive by scooter to deliver it.
