Brizz Medical: Genuine Medicines at Your Doorstep

Technology has drastically transformed the health care sector. Just as how groceries and food have been made easily available through online delivery apps, medical supplies can now also be delivered through apps. Today, more than 71% of medical professionals use their smartphones for different operational purposes and over 33% of doctors use different medicine delivery apps for prescribing decisions. But how can you trust the source as it’s a matter of one’s health? We suggest that when purchasing medicines from apps, you should only buy medicines from online delivery apps or online pharmacies that insist on a valid prescription from a doctor or another licensed health care professional. Imagine a situation where you live alone and are very sick, barely able to move. With technology and these medical apps, you can have your medicines delivered to you without leaving the doors of your house. How convenient does that sound?

Staying in due to coronavirus in Goa? You can now use Brizz Medical to order medical supplies from the comfort of your home. Brizz is the brainchild of Isha Kher who graduated as a Pharmacist from Goa College of Pharmacy in 2019. While Isha was doing her internship at Hindu Pharmacy in 2018, she stumbled upon huge advertisements in the media by online pharmacies offering heavy discounts for online purchases. She felt a strong need for such a service in Goa which would include pharmaceutical stores that have been in Goa for more than 100 years.

With the rapid increase of Covid19 cases and rising deaths due to the new strain, everyone is terrified to step out into crowded places which are the hubs for community transmission. Now, with Brizz, you can just open Google and log on to the app, sign up and select your location. You then upload your prescription or select medicines from an available drop-down list. The next step is to convey the convenient pickup time or request delivery by sending an inquiry to your nearby local trusted pharmacy. You then wait for the pharmacy to confirm availability, place your order and move to the online payment gateway or opt for cash payment. A very simple process with which your medicines arrive at your doorstep without delay while you are at home working, chilling, or just laying around. Currently, Brizz Medical has home delivery services available from Panjim, Ribandar, Vasco, Mapusa, Margao, and Ponda.

At Goan Insider, we learned about how Brizz is making the lives of its customers much more convenient when talking to its founder, Isha Kher. The excerpts are below.

How did you get your idea or concept for Brizz Medical? What makes it unique? 

During my 3rd year of college, I interned at a pharmacy in Panjim. It was around the time online pharmacies were being heavily discussed and debated on various forums. My concept was simple, “Why do I have to wait for my medicines for days when I can get them on the same day from my local store?” Then it hit me that the convenience of ordering online, home delivery of medicines, and discount on products were key to the growing traffic on online platforms. But what about trust? When reports claim that 1 in 10 medicines in the country are fraudulent, I wasn’t convinced of buying life-saving medicines from unknown sources. This is when the idea of Brizz came to me. I thought of offering the online convenience to buy medicines from trusted local pharmacies who have served us for 100s of years. Sure the discounts wouldn’t be much, but I’d be able to get my medicines on the same day.

Every time a discount is offered on an online platform, they cut down drastically or just eliminate the profits made by the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer. We didn’t want to hurt the chain but instead preserve the economic flow and yet provide convenience to doorsteps. This is what makes us stand out from others. Another issue was the non-availability of medicines in the pharmacy, leading to parking problems and long queues ultimately leading to a “No.” On Brizz you can now enquire about the availability of medicines before you leave your house. 

What was your mission at the outset?

When I started Brizz, I wanted to support local pharmacies and provide the users the ability to order from them hassle-free. Moreover, I started Brizz with the motto “never say no to patients who need their medicines.” We built a web app to give local pharmacies a voice, to empower them, and put them in a position to be able to supply medicines on the same day to customers who enquire on the app.  I wanted to provide an in-store experience as much as possible on the web app.

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer?

People can search for their medicines from a dedicated drop-down list on our web app. They can also add a photo of their prescription, product, or monthly list to the cart and send it across to the pharmacy of their choice. They can ask the store for a delivery option, as well as choose to pick up the order on the go. Once the store confirms the availability, users can pay via multiple online modes or pay via cash too. Pharmacies on our platform leave no stone unturned to make meds available to our customers in time, thereby guaranteeing availability.

When did you “charter” the business? What made you start the venture in Goa? 

Our company was launched with the name Brizz Medical Private Limited in March 2019 when I was still completing my graduation. I have been a resident of Goa for most of my life. Although I was born in Bombay, I moved to Goa as a toddler and since then been brought up here itself. I agree Goa is more laid back compared to metro cities, but I personally feel that it has nothing to do with wanting convenience. We as humans want convenience in the slightest of things that will help to make our lives a bit easier. I wanted to help the pharmacies here before the people turn to out-of-state sources for their medicines.

How do you advertise your business?

We have put up banners, tabletops and stickers at our pharmacies. We also advertise our services heavily via social media. We have also generated a lot of print media which is distributed at various places across the city.

How is Brizz Medical helping the people of Goa during the Covid-19 pandemic? 

Covid-19 is here to stay for a while hence and we continue to help people get their medicines every single day. People can visit a pharmacy on their phone, shop around, select what they need, and have it home delivered. No parking, no queues!

For those who wish to pick up their order, the pharmacies have reduced their in-store waiting period. They walk in, collect prepacked medicines and walk out. We also accept cashless payments and maintain all necessary precautions while delivering.

We saw that some home delivery services have been made available from Panjim, Ribandar, Vasco, Mapusa, Margao and Ponda. Could you elaborate on this and also tell us if there are any other special benefits available for users at this time across Goa?

People of Goa now have the ability to visit a pharmacy from home with uber convenience through our web app, Brizz. We have associated with renowned stores in all these areas to ensure that all medicine requests get answered and delivered within 24 hours. Each pharmacy offers its own benefits to its customers. We are only a mediator.

With the rapid increase in cases due to the new strain, what measures has Brizz medical taken to provide its services in a timely and safe manner? 

The new strain has not deterred our ability to serve the people of our state. Although, our delivery personnel’s wear masks, sanitize frequently, and are always careful while delivering the medicines.

How did you go about the process to shortlist pharmacies which you can trust?

Our platform is open to any pharmacy holding the capacity and the desire to help individuals who visit them through the app. We have our standard protocols for onboarding stores that need to be met by them beforehand.

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