Gastro and liver-care products are among the most consistently prescribed in Indian practice. Almost every general practitioner, physician and gastroenterologist writes them, they sell through every chemist, and they come in a wide spread of dosage forms: tablets, capsules, injections, syrups, suspensions and sachets.
That makes a gastro range a practical addition to most PCD franchises. This guide looks at it from the trade side: where the demand comes from, what partners usually stock, how the dosage forms differ, and how to choose a starting set.
Where the demand comes from
- General practitioners and physicians account for most gastro prescriptions, in clinics of every size.
- Gastroenterologists and hepatologists prescribe a narrower set of specialist products, including liver-care formulations.
- Hospitals and nursing homes use the injectable forms.
- Surgeons prescribe gastro products alongside other treatment around procedures.
Because demand is so widespread, a gastro range suits partners who visit many general clinics and chemists rather than a few specialists.
Ask the chemists you visit which gastro products move fastest; their answer is a reliable starting list.
The molecule families partners stock
In Ancare’s gastro and liver-care range, for example, the products include:
- Proton-pump inhibitors: pantoprazole, rabeprazole and esomeprazole, in tablets, capsules and injections;
- Combinations of these with domperidone, levosulpiride or itopride;
- Antacid preparations such as magaldrate with oxetacaine;
- Liver-care products, including silymarin, L-ornithine L-aspartate and L-glutathione formulations;
- Probiotics and digestive enzymes, including rifaximin and enzyme preparations.
A starting mix usually covers one or two proton-pump inhibitors with their common combinations, an antacid, and one or two liver-care or digestive products.
Dosage forms
Of the 34 products in Ancare’s gastro range at the time of writing, 9 are tablets, 8 capsules, 7 injections, 4 syrups, 3 oral suspensions and 3 sachets. The spread matters:
- Tablets and capsules are the volume sellers through chemists.
- Injections go mainly to hospitals and nursing homes.
- Syrups and suspensions suit both adult and family practice.
- Sachets are convenient for some products and easy to carry on visits.
Liquids are heavier and more fragile in transit than strips, so check deliveries for leaks and damage when they arrive.
Planning a starting set
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which proton-pump inhibitor do your prescribers prefer? | Start with the molecule they already write |
| Do you need injectables? | Only if you supply hospitals or nursing homes |
| Are combinations or single molecules more common in your area? | Shapes how many strengths you stock |
| Do specialists in your area use liver-care products? | Decides whether to add them at the start |
| How quickly do liquids sell? | Bottles take space and have shorter shelf lives once opened by the chemist |
Building the range over the first year
Months 1–3: the volume products. Begin with the proton-pump inhibitor your prescribers write most, in tablet or capsule form, plus its most common combination with domperidone or levosulpiride, and an antacid suspension. These are the products chemists reorder most often.
Months 4–6: add depth. Once orders settle, add a second proton-pump inhibitor, the other common combinations, and a digestive enzyme or probiotic if your prescribers ask for one. If you have started supplying nursing homes, add the injectable proton-pump inhibitor they use.
Months 7–12: specialist products. Liver-care products and specialist formulations sell to a narrower group of doctors. Add them once you have built relationships with physicians or gastroenterologists who write them.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too many look-alike products. Several proton-pump-inhibitor combinations with small differences compete with each other on the same shelf. Choose the ones your doctors write.
- Overstocking liquids. Syrups and suspensions take space and are fragile in transit; order them in smaller quantities and reorder more often.
- Neglecting chemists. Gastro products are prescribed so widely that chemists often decide which brand to stock. Regular chemist visits matter as much as doctor visits.
- Running out of the volume products. A missing proton-pump inhibitor loses repeat orders quickly; keep a buffer of your fastest movers.
How to tell whether the range is working
Gastro products should move quickly once doctors start writing them, so the signs show within a few months:
- chemists reordering without a visit, which means the product is being prescribed;
- a widening circle of chemists stocking your proton-pump inhibitor, not just the ones near the doctors you visit;
- the combination products selling alongside the single molecules, which shows prescribers trust the brand;
- liquids clearing before they age, which tells you the quantities are right.
If one look-alike product outsells another that you also stock, consider dropping the slower one and putting your effort behind the winner.
Questions to ask the company about this range
- Which proton-pump inhibitors and combinations are in the range, and in which strengths?
- Which products come as syrups, suspensions or sachets, and in what pack sizes?
- Is the injectable proton-pump inhibitor available for hospital customers?
- How are liquids packed for transport, to limit leaks and breakage?
- What promotional material is available for the volume products?
Compare the answers with the products your doctors already write before you place the first order.
Working the range with your other ranges
Gastro products are often written alongside antibiotics and pain-management products, and liver-care and probiotic products sit close to the nutraceutical range. A partner who carries gastro with one or two of these ranges can cover most of a general physician’s prescription in one visit.
Promotion
Present the composition, strength and dosage form clearly, and leave clinical decisions to the prescriber. Gastro products are prescribed so widely that competition is strong; reliable supply and prompt service to chemists often matter as much as the product itself. Promotion must follow the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices.
Ancare’s gastro and liver-care range
Ancare Life Sciences, Panchkula, markets 34 products in its gastro and liver-care range, with full compositions and packs. Look up any salt in our products by composition index.
See how to start a PCD pharma franchise for choosing your first ranges, or contact us for the price list for your area.