|
The consolidation of the pharmacies will be known as the Medpharm group and will be administered by Medswana. Speaking at the launch, Moolman said the coming together of the pharmacies would assist in making use of the majority buying power of Batswana and negotiate the best product and price from the suppliers in a symbiotic formulation for all parties involved. The mission of the consolidation is to provide a quality product range that can be promoted by the group of pharmacies exclusively or at a special price. Moolman said the group would be able to negotiate information fees with the different suppliers via online communication. The maintenance and backup support for the system will cost the pharmacies P500 per month while they will also be required to pay P450 as a monthly membership fee. He said other benefits would include a 24-hour order placing with Medswana through the online system and advertising through the Botswana media, clearly stating that the products will be available at the special prices, only through Medpharm pharmacies. Moolman noted that this would change the face of pharmacies in Botswana with products that do not compete against the food stores. He said if there was any competition, it should be at competitive prices.He advised the pharmacies in the group to look at the existing stocks and get rid of dead stock.Moolman said through a group approach, billboard advertising would be cheaper, in the local media and other avenues, however going it alone costs thousands.
|
