Pharmacists are no longer confined to dispensing medicines. Across global and Indian healthcare systems, they are building startups that tackle medication adherence, drug affordability, supply chain gaps, and digital access. Drawing directly from frontline experience, these founders are reshaping how patients receive and manage care far beyond the retail counter.
Plazza is a Bengaluru-based healthtech startup founded in 2024 by Aman Priyadarshi and Aniruddha Sen. It operates at the intersection of pharmacy and quick commerce, aiming to deliver medicines and healthcare products within 15 to 60 minutes.
Plazza follows an omnichannel model, combining physical retail outlets called “Lifestores” with a digital platform. Its flagship store in Bengaluru acts as a fulfillment hub, supported by real-time inventory and logistics systems. Unlike traditional pharmacies that carry limited stock, Plazza offers a significantly wider catalog, including prescription drugs, OTC products, and wellness items.
Adeola Alli, a pharmacist licensed in the UK, USA, and Nigeria, is the Founder and CEO of OneHealth. She launched the company in 2019 to address persistent gaps in medication access across Nigeria, inspired by personal challenges in sourcing essential drugs.
OneHealth is a digital healthcare platform that connects patients to a network of pharmacies, enabling medication access, prescription management, and delivery services. The platform partners with over a thousand pharmacies and operates across all 36 states in Nigeria, improving availability and coordination of care.
Alli combines clinical expertise with operational insight to tackle fragmented supply chains and access barriers. Her work reflects a broader shift where pharmacists are building scalable solutions for underserved populations, using technology to improve both availability and affordability of medicines.
TJ Parker, a licensed pharmacist, co-founded PillPack in 2013 along with Elliot Cohen. The idea emerged from direct pharmacy experience patients struggling to manage multiple prescriptions and dosing schedules.
PillPack introduced a pre-sorted packaging system, organizing medications into clearly labeled packets by date and time. This significantly improved adherence, especially for patients with chronic conditions. In 2018, Amazon acquired PillPack for approximately $753 million, marking a major entry into the digital pharmacy space.
Umar Afridi is a pharmacist and entrepreneur, and the Founder of Foundation Health, which was established in 2024. With prior experience in pharmacy operations and digital health, he focuses on modernizing outdated pharmacy workflows.
Foundation Health builds AI-driven infrastructure for pharmacies and health systems, with its core product, PAIGE AI, functioning as a virtual pharmacist assistant. The system automates time-intensive tasks such as patient communication, refill coordination, and prior authorization processes.
By reducing administrative burden, the platform allows pharmacists to focus more on clinical care while improving efficiency and patient access. Afridi’s work highlights how pharmacists are increasingly moving into AI and healthtech infrastructure, designing tools that streamline operations and enhance care delivery across modern healthcare systems.
Myra was founded in 2015 by Faizan Aziz and Anirudh Coontoor.
The company built one of India’s early hyperlocal medicine delivery platforms, focusing on fast, on-demand access to essential drugs. Instead of operating as a centralized e-pharmacy, Myra partnered with local pharmacies, enabling delivery within a few hours—especially critical for urgent care needs.
Prioritized speed over bulk logistics
Enabled last-mile connectivity through neighborhood chemists
Addressed real-world gaps in immediate medicine availability
Myra was later acquired by Medlife, further integrating its rapid delivery model into India’s growing digital pharmacy ecosystem.
Pharmacists are increasingly moving beyond traditional roles to shape how healthcare is delivered, accessed, and experienced. By building ventures across digital platforms, AI-driven systems, and rapid medicine delivery models, they are addressing gaps they have long witnessed in practice. Their clinical expertise, combined with operational insight, positions them uniquely to design solutions that are both practical and scalable.
