Time works for e-commerce

Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO of AMITY International, spoke with Natalia Baeva, Director of the Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club, about the specifics of online sales of medicines in Kazakhstan. He noted that despite growing consumer interest, the regulatory framework remains fragmented and insufficiently adapted to modern digital realities, which hinders the development of e-commerce in the pharmaceutical market.

One of the divisions of AMITY International is Apteka.com, an online portal for searching and ordering medicines and pharmacy products. Today, items ordered through the portal are delivered to more than 1,000 partner pharmacies across Kazakhstan, where they are handed over to customers. In 2026, Apteka.com will once again serve as a partner of the Kazakhstan Pharmaceutical Forum, organized by the Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club in Almaty.

We spoke with Natalia Baeva, Director of the Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club, about how the Summit originated, the surprising insights these meetings generate, and why it has earned the trust of so many participants.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

What trends do you see in the development of e-commerce in Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical market? And what factors are holding this segment back?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

To begin with, e-commerce in Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical market is developing along its own unique path. Major banks in Kazakhstan are creating multifunctional marketplaces where consumers can purchase everything – from services to complex products, including medicines. These platforms have become the main drivers of this market segment.

As a result, pharmacy chains have almost stopped investing in their own online projects, choosing instead to place their products on fintech platforms and leverage the strong brand recognition these marketplaces offer. However, this comes at a cost: pharmacies face profitability issues since banks take a significant share of the revenue by setting high commission rates.

Today, around 90% of online medicine sales come through marketplaces. The only independent players left on the market are our platform, Apteka.com, along with a few aggregators and pharmacies that have managed to retain their own websites.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

What regulatory restrictions are affecting the development of e-commerce in the pharmaceutical market?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

When it comes to regulating online sales of medicines, the first steps have already been taken – the regulator has begun monitoring marketplaces for compliance with pharmaceutical legislation. At present, however, there are essentially no specific requirements for online sales. This creates certain nuances related to licensing. For example, retail licenses include terms such as “storage” and “transportation”, which are understood to mean movement within the pharmacy network, not delivery to the end consumer. Still, there is no formal violation if a courier delivers an online order – it all comes down to how the regulator interprets the rule.

A far more serious barrier for pharmacies in the online space has been the introduction of mandatory drug labeling. It has complicated the logistics chain between distributors, pharmacies, and consumers. As a result, many pharmacies are reluctant to sell labeled products online. I believe the market will adapt over time, but for now, this remains one of the most significant negative factors.

As for price regulation, all market participants have already grown accustomed to it. Whether sales take place online or offline, the impact of this factor is essentially the same.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

What challenges have you faced in developing the Apteka.com project, and how did you overcome them?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

The Apteka.com project follows a classic online format based on the “pick-up in store” principle. We operate within our wholesale distribution license, with the website serving as a storefront for consumers. In essence, it’s a hybrid B2B and B2C model: the consumer visits the site, finds the product they need, and places an order. The key decision factors here are price and assortment, as the online catalog is far broader than what most pharmacies can offer, especially when it comes to non-pharmaceutical products.

Once processed, the order is delivered to the pharmacy chosen by the customer, which acts as the pick-up point. This ensures full compliance with the supply chain requirements for pharmaceutical products – from distributor to pharmacy and then to the consumer. We strictly adhere to all legal standards, including temperature control, prescription-only dispensing, and related regulations. On the website, we pay special attention to ensuring the proper dispensing of prescription medicines.

In the early stages, it was difficult to convince pharmacies to join the project, as many didn’t fully understand the model and sometimes made mistakes in service. Yet for the consumer, the essence of e-commerce is simple: receiving the product with minimal effort. We focused on continuously improving service quality – and this has allowed us to achieve strong results.

Brand recognition is the key factor for success in online sales. During the pandemic, marketplaces significantly strengthened their positions, and our project also demonstrated triple-digit growth. Today, the Apteka.com brand is widely recognized, though it still lags behind the largest fintech companies in terms of competitive strength.

Marketplaces sell products directly through their websites and deliver them directly to consumers. This is both their advantage over us and their vulnerability in terms of compliance with pharmaceutical regulations. Unlike them, we do not handle direct delivery. We don’t sell medicines online – instead, the customer pays for and collects their order directly at the pharmacy. Our key advantage is price. We compete through affordability and quality, while fully complying with Kazakhstan’s legislation.

I believe changes are on the horizon. At the moment, compliance with GPP (Good Pharmacy Practice) in online sales effectively ends at the pharmacy counter, because once a medicine is handed over for delivery, there is no validation of the courier’s vehicle or conditions. Another critical safety issue is the sale of prescription drugs online. This raises many questions: who checks for a valid prescription and its proper completion? A courier with a pharmaceutical background?

Currently, all key players in Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical market are licensed and operate strictly in line with GPP/GDP standards. Every process is regulated and monitored – from storage conditions and transport validation to rules for dispensing prescription medicines. By contrast, similar operations on marketplaces are governed only by their internal policies. This puts us at a disadvantage: we bear additional costs to comply with quality standards, while our competitors do not. Still, as I mentioned earlier, the regulator is aware of this issue and is preparing changes to address it.

Another challenge is the economics of pharmacies working with marketplaces. In pursuit of higher sales, many eventually find themselves operating at a loss. Commissions – both direct and hidden – are quite high, while price competition pushes margins down, often below the level needed to cover operating costs. As a result, online sales may reach up to 15% of a pharmacy’s total turnover, but losses grow disproportionately, forcing many to exit the online segment. So, on the one hand, we face regulatory gaps; on the other, negative profitability. That is why change is inevitable: market forces cannot be ignored, and sooner or later they will restore balance to the market.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

Which product categories bring the highest margins? What sells most profitably?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

In this project, we don’t chase margins. Together with pharmacies, we’ve built a model that works: they’re not interested in selling cheap products, since processing every order takes the same time and resources no matter its value. That’s why the focus naturally shifts to higher-priced items. Our agreement is simple: pharmacies receive a fixed fee for handling each item. We sell medicines at our wholesale prices, while pharmacies also enjoy extra bonuses under certain contracts and product groups. All of this makes taking part in the project not just worthwhile, but highly rewarding.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

Who is your typical online customer? How do you envision them?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

Around 70% of our customers are women aged 30 to 45. They are an active, digital-savvy audience that values convenience, quality, and reliability – and treats their time as a precious resource.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

What tools do you use to increase the average purchase value and basket size?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

We actively use cross-selling: for example, if someone orders ampoules, we suggest syringes, antiseptics, and other related products. We offer discounts on multi-pack purchases and save previous orders, making it faster and easier for customers to reorder. And since our prices for expensive medicines are very low, the average purchase value naturally goes up.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

What’s your approach to customer retention?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

First, we run a bonus program: the bigger the order, the more bonuses the customer earns – which can be used on the next purchase. Second, if a customer hasn’t ordered for a while, we gently remind them we’re here. Third, we focus on personalization: we know our customers’ preferences and can tailor offers more precisely. Our biggest advantage is the quality of our entire logistics chain. Customers get the products they need at low wholesale prices with a 100% quality guarantee.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

How is your delivery system organized? Have you ever considered doorstep delivery?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

We operate through partner pharmacies. For them, everything is simple: they receive our orders along with their regular distributor deliveries, without having to change internal processes. Orders go straight to the checkout area and wait for the customer. Since the goods legally transfer to the pharmacy, we can’t interfere with its internal logistics. For the pharmacy, launching home delivery makes no sense – they already get clear and predictable profit without extra effort. And that’s our advantage: simplicity and reliability.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

How quickly customers get their orders?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

If the order is placed in a city where we have a warehouse, delivery usually takes less than 24 hours. In other cities, it ranges from 24 to 48 hours, depending on whether the order makes it into the night shipment. There are also external factors – for example, pharmacy working hours. We can’t make pharmacies operate 24/7, and some of them are closed on weekends.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

Do pharmacies see online sales as an opportunity – or as competition from you?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

We don’t compete with pharmacies - quite the opposite, we drive additional customer traffic to them. For pharmacies, it’s easy money: the order comes in, the product is already in stock, the price and profit are clear, and there are no extra costs. Simple, straightforward, and effective.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

In your view, how is e-commerce on Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical market likely to evolve in the near future?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

The future of e-commerce in Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical sector will largely depend on the regulatory framework chosen by the authorities. I expect tighter restrictions on the circulation of prescription and/or unregistered medicines, as well as new requirements for courier transport validation and professional qualifications. At the same time, I believe regulations for over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and related products will remain relatively light.

Kazakhstan is already moving toward lifting price controls on over-the-counter drugs, which creates the foundation for healthy market competition. Ultimately, the winning model will be the one that proves most convenient and in demand among consumers.

Prescription medicines present a more complex challenge. Globally, there is still no single approach – each country builds its own model. Yet even here, opportunities exist. In our e-commerce format, we serve as a storefront: customers select medicines online but collect them in pharmacies. This model ensures compliance with any potential regulatory changes.

Time is on the side of e-commerce. The overall trend is clear: more and more consumers are turning to online purchases, including pharmaceuticals. Looking ahead, we estimate that within the next five years, online sales could account for 25–30% of Kazakhstan’s total pharmaceutical market – a significant share that cannot be ignored.

– Natalia Baeva, Director, Global Pharmaceutical Leaders' Club:

How do you build and strengthen brand awareness for Apteka.com?

– Evgeny Zemlyankin, CEO, AMITY International:

We’ve gone through a stage of trial and error and, as a result, built an effective digital strategy. Our main focus is online advertising, as well as Telegram and Instagram – channels that consistently deliver a steady flow of new customers.

We work closely with manufacturers and pharmacy websites, but the biggest challenge remains SEO and search rankings. It’s harder to gain visibility through Google since its algorithm favors “native” domains. That’s one of the reasons we’re investing heavily in a user-friendly mobile app – a fully controlled sales channel.

We also put strong emphasis on working with medical opinion leaders. It’s important for us that doctors feel confident their patients can get prescribed medicines with guaranteed storage conditions. For this, we provide a reliable platform, multiple pick-up pharmacies, cold-chain compliance, and trustworthy logistics.

Finally, we maintain open, transparent dialogue with regulators and healthcare authorities, offering a clear, logical model that balances the interests of all stakeholders – the state, patients, doctors, and business.