Starting an Online Pharmacy
[author:antoan smith Public time:May 15, 2007] |
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Big drugstores often get lower prices from suppliers because they order heftier quantities. There's also intense competition from foreign online pharmacies that undercut U.S. prices. "The big question is, how you're going to compete," says Jeff Hawes, a pharmacy-benefits consultant in Granger, Ind.
But if you want to try, here are the basic steps: If you're starting an online pharmacy from scratch -- meaning you don't have a bricks-and-mortar outfit -- there are many regulatory hurdles for registering a pharmacy with your state. In New York, for instance, this includes having at least 300 square feet of commercial space to store medications and fill orders, along with proper refrigeration, security and patient-record-keeping procedures, says Lawrence Mokhiber, executive secretary of the New York State Board of Pharmacy. Online pharmacies also must register in states they ship to. All pharmacies must have a licensed pharmacist on staff.
Another step: Deciding from whom to buy the pharmaceuticals, probably a wholesaler. The best approach is making a list of the types and quantities of medication you plan to sell and taking bids from at least three wholesalers, says Craig Burridge, executive director of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York. Some online pharmacies focus exclusively on "lifestyle" medications like Viagra that people are too embarrassed to pick up at a local drugstore or their health plans don't cover. Others sell only generics.
Web-site design and functionality also is key. A site needs to take orders and accept payments like any e-commerce site. But it also needs a system for collecting patient information, like what medications they're taking and what they're allergic to. Some online pharmacies accept prescriptions from doctors via email.
Reputation and security features are factors as well. You should list a phone number where customers can call directly, a clear customer privacy policy and a security certificate.
More information visit: http://www.onlinepharmacy.md
Otherinfo:sofia 1000
Printed From:http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200705/1179243035.html
Source:Free Press Release
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