Smart Pharma Services: Stepping into the World of E-commerce

Azra Salim, the Managing Director & CEO of Shombhob Health Ltd, and  Director of Jayson Pharmaceutical Ltd. took the leap of faith by breaking away from tradition, how her unlimited passion drove her to endless learning of the tech world of business, and how she achieved her trophy today, which is her online pharmacy business, ‘Shombhob’.

Stepping into the Ecosystem of the Pharma E-Commerce World

It all started in 2021. Azra Salim was on the verge of contributing something more to the community and society during the nightmare of COVID-19. When a plain, physical brick-and-mortar store was not enough to help consumers on a wider scale, that is when she came up with ‘Shombhob, which means ‘possible’ in Bengali. After a few years, we see that she truly made her dream possible and has become one of the leading online pharmaceutical business platforms in Bangladesh.
According to Ms. Salim, who has had experience in the pharmaceutical world for more than 10 years, she has seen a 180-degree change in the healthcare sector via the introduction of the e-commerce platform. These online sites and companies are coming out with lots of new and fresh ideas that are creating new business platforms as well as working towards providing better service to society. She said, “Online pharmacies, online medical expert consultation services, online diagnostics, and other services are some of the ideas worth mentioning. COVID-19 has played a crucial role in the inception of such ideas. I think it’s a very exciting time in the healthcare industry”.  

The entrepreneur believes that the government is quite supportive of start-ups. However, she feels that more funding could be made available from the private and public sectors. Most startups in Bangladesh start with meager local funding, and after a certain amount of traction, the firm qualifies to apply for foreign funding. “I think funding is a big concern. In terms of startup growth, traditional investors can also be open-minded and consider this a new channel to invest in. Aside from that, the regulatory work could be made easier for startups to comply with, so that more startups could feel confident, be compliant, and be in a regulated environment”, the Wharton School of Business graduate added.

Standout Factors of Shombhob

Ms. Azra expressed that the concept of Shombhob has been on her mind for the past 6–7 years, since the time she was on the manufacturing side of the industry. She felt the manufacturing side was quite removed from providing direct service to consumers, which she wanted to get involved in. Despite her deep interest, she could not make sufficient time to invest in this side. 

She recalled the inception saying, “I started an online pharmacy while I was there, but it could not grow as much as Shombhob is doing now because I could not devote much time to it. I started Shombhob with several team members from the pharma industry, and that experience gives us an edge in the supply chain and market to improve the quality of our customer service. We are providing the best service to our customers because we have qualified pharmacists on our team.” 

Shombhob has pharmaceutical veterans in their sourcing department, and they are also importers of foreign healthcare products. The marketing is also led by the pharmaceutical industry marketing teams. Azra also mentioned, “We also have a brick-and-mortar store, and we have to expand on that soon. We also have a different revenue channel for the imported product line. We have to make a difference with this collective experience.”

Pandemic & Post-Pandemic Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry found itself limited by interruption in importing raw materials for production to carry out its usual business as a pharmaceutical provider. To mitigate such situations, her company had to pivot their product portfolios to maximize the revenue from the limited resources. She had to also rush to launch some products that were in high demand as a response to COVID-19.

In addition to that, as they found themselves resource-restrained, they had to divert the resources into product portfolios that best suited them and their workforce. The practices of the workforce had to be significantly changed while also keeping in mind that the safety of the workforce was ensured and the required flexibility was provided.

As she was asked about the response they were getting as an internet-based healthcare service provider compared to the traditional means of treatment, she explained, “COVID-19 transformed people’s purchasing habits. As much as it’s easy to purchase food or clothing online, buying medicines and other healthcare products requires some form of trust.”

“The pandemic pushed us that way, and some good service providers like ourselves earned that trust to provide those lifesaving medicines to these consumers. Now that people have valued and decided to spend more time with their loved ones when they are not working, the demand for such online service providers has thus increased. Avoiding physical shopping has carried on, and we are banking on that preference for convenience and safety to allow this sector to grow more,” she added.

Shombhob offers the same medication and services, but they provide flawless packaging and monthly prescription refill services, which the elderly can avail of while sitting at home. Sometimes patients from the hospitals look for some uncommon medicines, and other late-night emergency medication orders are also served. Ensuring such services makes Ms. Salim feel that their purpose is served. “I’ve got so many stories about how the internet has made a difference and how it has made it possible to connect us to people who need this service”, the founder of Shombhob mentioned.

Seeking Assistance from the Public Sector

According to Azra, there is still a lot that can be done. For exports, they receive a certain Income Tax Subsidy. She feels that if something similar can be availed of for the local market as well, then it would be quite encouraging for the entrepreneurs in the pharmaceutical industry. This way, investments will be increased, and the industry can expand and grow. 

Alongside, if there were allowed to be more high-value and in-demand formulations of products, then the firms could have a nice balance of high- and low-priced products in the market. She deems, “There are some life-saving medicines that are not expensive in terms of price. So for the companies to have a balanced portfolio and ensure profits, if the government could encourage the companies to launch more diversified formulations, that would be quite helpful.”

Shombhob’s Challenges Vs. Advancements 

It was a huge leap for Azra to start an e-business, breaking away from my traditional brick-and-mortar family business. She began saying, “As somebody without a tech background, I had a lot of learning to do. I have to depend a lot on my team, and during decision-making, I have to do a lot of tech-based research on my own, which seldom comes naturally to me. I’ve got to work hard, be informed, and gain that knowledge to be able to decide. It is surely a challenge, but one that I am greatly enjoying by learning and driving the growth in the company.”

According to the entrepreneur, globally, sales force automation and logistical automation are becoming more important with each passing day. With online order placements, there is a need for people to get deliveries faster. Services like ‘same-day delivery’ or ‘short-time delivery’. She feels with automation, such services could be made much better in terms of logistical planning and meeting the customer’s demand for such particular convenience in fulfilling such orders.

Spreading it Wings Around the Country 

Shombhob now delivers medicines to Dhaka and Rajshahi, where they have working team members because she does not believe in sending medicines through courier services, which might compromise the safety and quality of the medicines. Shombhob only uses courier services for non-medical products. In the future, the company also has plans to expand its medicine delivery service to other districts, especially in areas where access to medicine itself is an issue. 

“A lot of the time, patients come to Dhaka to see the doctor, but the medication is not available in the local area. Reaching out to those areas is one of the future goals”, she unveiled. Apart from that, the firm works very closely with delivering feminine hygiene products and empowering women by placing their orders for medication, hygiene products, and other reproductive health products. 

Azra envisions expanding Shombhob’s reach beyond Dhaka. Their services already cater to RMG workers on the outskirts, providing essential medicines and healthcare products they might not otherwise access. It’s a step towards a more inclusive society. “It is my passion to make their ordering and receiving channels more women-friendly, and I feel I am achieving that goal slowly but surely,” she revealed.

60% of their customers are women, and women are not only taking care of their health, but more often than not, they are taking care of the entire family. They are the ones who are taking care of their parents, children, and even pets, if they have any. Shombhob wants to be the first online business firm that these women think of, and they are working towards achieving that goal. Another long-term goal is to work with other organizations and NGOs to provide feminine hygiene products and other health care products to remote areas.