Choosing the range is the most important decision in PCD. Pick the wrong one and the stock just sits there. Here is how each range actually behaves.
Start here
Choose the range to suit the doctors, not your own preference. Count the specialists in your area - whichever kind you have most of, that is your range.
Ortho - the largest and the safest
Pain management, anti-inflammatories, calcium, bone and joint support.
- Good: demand runs all year and does not follow the seasons. Courses are long, so repeats are dependable. There are doctors for it in every district.
- Watch: competition is heaviest here.
- Suits: new partners - it is the safest place to start.
See the ortho range
Gynae - the most dependable repeat
Pregnancy support, iron and calcium, uterine tonics, ovulation support.
- Good: nine months of pregnancy plus lactation means 12 to 15 months of supply from one patient. Gynaecologists do not switch brands quickly.
- Watch: earning the doctor's trust takes time.
- Suits: areas with a good number of gynaecologists or maternity centres.
See the gynae range
Derma - the best margin
Anti-fungals, anti-allergy, acne care, creams, medicated soaps.
- Good: higher value per unit, so the margin is better. Demand comes from both prescription and over the counter.
- Watch: the packing has to be good, or it does not move off the shelf.
- Suits: urban areas where skin care demand is stronger.
See the derma range
Antibiotic - the fastest moving
A course runs five to seven days and the stock turns over quickly. Every doctor writes them. See the range
Cardiac Diabetic - lifetime patients
The patient never stops taking the medicine. One patient can be a customer for ten to twenty years, which makes forecasting easier than anywhere else. See the range
The other ranges
- Gastro - acidity is the most common complaint there is, and it sells both OTC and on prescription
- ENT - very strong in season; three or four months can carry much of the year
- Paediatric - taste decides everything, and paediatricians stay loyal
- Urology - few companies carry a proper range, so competition is thin
- Neuro and Psychiatric - the least competition and the longest therapy
Advice for a new partner
Start with one range, not two or three. The most common safe combination is ortho plus a general range plus antibiotics - all three move in every district.
Three or four months will tell you what is working. Build on that.
All ranges in one place · ask about your district