Daniela Carrasco
Nowadays, it is practically impossible to think of a type of business that is not immersed in the online world or starting to learn how to offer its products or services through the Internet. With the COVID-19 pandemic, which led us all to stay at home, the online world took on more momentum and essential services such as online pharmacies used it to offer medication to those who needed any type of treatment and could not leave their homes.
This practice of pharmacy eCommerce became popular worldwide. In the case of Mexico, many known pharmacy chains were able to adapt to the new reality and today continue to offer their sales and customer service from the web world without abandoning their physical locations. They found a way to work in a hybrid way with effective results.
Now, speaking specifically about Mexico, the sale of pharmacy at home via online has grown by 19% by offering all types of medication and products that have experienced a demand increase such as face masks. The increase in sales of certain products is reflected in an analysis carried out by EcommerceDB, a database operated by Statista, which indicates that the combination of e-commerce business and the sale of medications and medical products was “a gold mine” in times of pandemic.
These are the best online pharmacies in Mexico
Data from a study by Convert Group, determined that the number of visits to pharmacy websites worldwide kept growing during 2022. The growth of this figure was most evident in Latin America, contrary to 2021 study, when it was recorded the third fastest increase in visits. It is importat to take into account that Latin America is home to some of the fastest growing pharmacies globally, two of which are Mexican: Farmacias del Ahorro and Farmacia San Pablo.
It is anticipated that we will be able to see the emergence of additional pharmaceutical marketplaces this year, coupled with the modernization of last-mile delivery and the industry’s increasing adoption of an omnichannel experience.
These are the top 10 most visited online pharmacies according to ePharmacydata:
- Farmacias del Ahorro
- Farmacias Guadalajara
- Farmacias San Pablo
- Farmacias de similares
- Farmalisto
- Farmacias Benavides
- Prixz
- Farmacias especializadas
- Yza
- Farmasmart
1. Farmacias del Ahorro
Farmacias del Ahorro was founded in 1991 with only two branches and 30 employees, and has been dedicated to the sale of medications and personal care products ever since. Today it has 1,600 branches throughout Mexico.
They have their famous “Monedero del Ahorro” program, a system in which for each participating product purchased on the Farmacias del ahorro website or app, you will get electronic money with which you can buy any product from the app or website. This accumulated electronic money has no expiration date and can be used whenever you want. In addition, being in this affiliate program allows you to enjoy exclusive promotions and free products.
2. Farmacias Guadalajara
Another company that has had sustained growth has been Farmacias Guadalajara, also called Super Farmacia. They own more than two thousand branches in Mexico.
This company stands out for having one of the widest catalogues in Mexico, including products for health, personal care, baby items, food, household items, photoelectronics, etc. It also offers other services such as photo printing, airtime recharge, money transfer from pharmacy to pharmacy, electronic catalog sales, among others. They also seek to offer competitive prices and provide 24-hour, seven-day-a-week deliveries.
3. Farmacias San Pablo
This chain has the self-service modality in its physical stores and has home delivery with coverage in Mexico City, State of Mexico, Puebla and Queretaro.
In addition, you can also request your invoices, search for branches, check the status of your shipments and more. The app is currently available for download on Android and IOS systems. The are some categories that are excepted in the sale of products through digital channels such as controlled drugs, high specialty and oncology.
4. Farmacias de similares
Established in 1997 and belonging to Grupo Todo Por Un País, it was created with the purpose of offering health products to the most underprivileged areas of the country. Currently, there are more than 8,000 branches and franchises established in Mexico and Chile.
One of their most outstanding promotions is that every Monday they have a 25% discount in the entire pharmacy. On their website you can find medicines, high specialty, healing materials (all instruments and products used for cures, surgery, among other surgical procedures), vitamins and supplements, and sexual health products.
In addition, it has a section called “Siminotas” in which it informs, for example, about what certain diseases consist of and what causes them.
5. Farmalisto
Throughout Latin America, Farmalisto is considered the largest pharmacy chain, and in Mexico it has been gaining more and more importance. It is a leader in the sale of specialized medications and allows orders to be placed 24 hours a day.
It was founded in 2013 in Colombia, initiating its operations in Mexico in 2014. They have presence in México City, Guadalajara, Nuevo León, Puebla, Yucatán, Chiapas, among others.
6. Farmacias Benavides
It is one of Mexico’s leading pharmaceutical chains and is part of the International Retail Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, a global pharmacy, health and wellness company. It has more than 1,000 stores in 20 states.
It allows ordering with free shipping via phone and website, and you can also order your products through Rappi or UberEats. They also provide information to their customers via social networks offering recommendations to improve their health, curious facts that may be of interest and product recommendations.
7. Prixz
It is a new company compared to the others in the market as it was born in 2016 and has already managed to enter into competition with the largest pharmaceutical franchises in the country. In its 7 years in the market, it has recorded consecutive growth, but ultimately its boost came with the COVID-19 pandemic when it received overwhelming acceptance from its target audience.
One of the most important and recent characteristics of the platform is the possibility of scanning your prescription through Artificial Intelligence, with the purpose of corroborating that it has the necessary data to ensure the delivery of medications. Among the mandatory information required to make the prescription valid are: the doctor’s data (name, ID number, institution of origin and specialty), drug specification (name, formula and dosage) and signature (in the case of antibiotics, this can be digital; but in the case of controlled drugs, it must be autographed).
To reinforce its e-commerce strategy and have a greater presence, the brand partnered with marketplace giants such as Amazon, Mercado Libre, Linio and Cornershop, as well as with delivery apps, Rappi being one of them.
8. Farmacias especializadas
Founded in 1978, it offers high specialty medicines, healing material and general medicine. They also integrate products, medicines and services related to health. They have a mobile application, although orders can also be placed via telephone. They also publish informative articles on their website related to health.
They have more than 5,000 products and 7 categories: high specialty, general medicines, measuring items, sexual health, personal care, dermocosmetics, and lastly, vitamins and supplements.
9. Yza
Yza is a chain of pharmacies with more than 1,500 branches throughout Mexico. Among its products you can find patent, private label and generic medicines, hygiene products and more. They have 24-hour customer service and a medical office.
To place an order on their website you only need to register, select the products you need to put them in the cart and choose the payment method, in order to receive your products.
10. Farmasmart
Farmasmart has more than 15,000 products, you just have to select which ones you want, fill in your details to receive the shipment and finally, receive it at your doorstep. It has 8 categories of medicines among which you can find oncological medicines, retrovirals, or healing material. In addition, they have weekly offers and different promotions.
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