Quick commerce platform Blinkit has begun piloting the delivery of prescription medicines in select parts of Bengaluru, expanding its offerings beyond over-the-counter (OTC) medications, reported YourStory. As per news reports, the service now includes antibiotics, nasal sprays, eye drops, ointments, and antihistamines.
Customers can access free doctor consultations after placing an order, particularly if they are unable to upload a valid prescription. Blinkit’s app notes that orders are fulfilled by licensed pharmacies and delivered in tamper-proof packaging, although the company has not officially commented on the scale or partners involved in the pilot.
Swiggy, PhonePe also in the fray
Blinkit is the second horizontal quick commerce player to test prescription medicine delivery after Swiggy, which entered the segment through a partnership with PharmEasy in October last year. Swiggy’s model allows users to order from within its dark stores via an integrated pharmacy storefront. PhonePe’s Pincode also launched a 10-minute medicine delivery service in April across three cities.
Legacy and vertical players such as Flipkart-backed SastaSundar, Tata 1mg (in collaboration with BigBasket), and Apollo 24/7 are reportedly at various stages of testing or scaling similar offerings. Meanwhile, startups such as Plazza, Farmako, and Zeno Health are experimenting with sub-30-minute deliveries.
Blinkit deepens healthcare play
The move comes as Blinkit continues to broaden its healthcare footprint. Earlier this year, the company launched a 10-minute ambulance service in parts of Gurugram. According to Eternal (formerly Zomato) CEO Deepinder Goyal, the service had scaled to 12 ambulances across six depots as of July 24, with 83% of emergency calls being attended to within 10 minutes.
To support the initiative, Blinkit is also building an in-house paramedic training programme to staff its ambulances, which have reportedly responded to nearly 600 emergency calls since January, half of which were deemed critical.
The foray into prescription drug delivery reflects a broader strategic pivot within Eternal, which now counts Blinkit as a key growth driver. In the April–June quarter of FY25, Blinkit’s gross order value (GOV) overtook the company’s core food delivery business for the first time, pointing to changing consumer behaviour and shifting internal priorities.