SMS for pharmacies and chemists

Bulk SMS for pharmacies and chemist shops

Remind regular customers before their monthly medicines run out, tell them when a special order has arrived and confirm home deliveries, straight from your billing software.

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Neighbourhood chemist shopsPharmacy chainsHospital pharmaciesMedicine home delivery servicesWholesale and stockist pharmacies

SMS from a chemist shop reminding a regular customer that monthly medicines will finish soon and offering home delivery

How do pharmacies use SMS?

Pharmacies and chemists use SMS to remind chronic patients before a monthly refill is due, confirm that a special-order medicine has arrived, share home delivery status, send credit dues and announce store offers to customers who consented. Refill and order messages are service implicit; offers are promotional and follow the 10 am to 9 pm window.

Updated 15 Nov 2026

Key facts: SMS for pharmacies and chemists

Channel: Bulk SMS
Best for: Refill reminder; Order arrived; Home delivery status
SMS categories: Service implicit, Promotional
Who it suits: Neighbourhood chemist shops, Pharmacy chains, Hospital pharmacies, Medicine home delivery services, Wholesale and stockist pharmacies
Rules: TRAI DLT: registered entity, header and content template for every SMS; promotional SMS only 10 am to 9 pm and not to DND numbers
Pricing model: Prepaid credits quoted by volume, GST extra. How pricing works
Integration: REST API and webhooks (message.delivered, message.failed, message.clicked) into your own software. SMS API

Where a chemist loses repeat business

Monthly patients drift awayA diabetic or BP patient who buys every month runs out, walks into the nearest store or orders online, and your regular sale is gone.

Special orders forgotten on the shelfYou order an uncommon injection or brand for one customer, it arrives the next day, and nobody tells them it is ready.

Credit customers pay lateRegular families and nursing homes buy on monthly credit, and reminding each one by phone takes the owner's evening.

Which SMS fit a pharmacy?

Service implicit

Refill reminderSent a few days before a regular customer's 30-day supply runs out, asking them to collect or reply for home delivery.→ Monthly customers come back

Service implicit

Order arrivedTells the customer the medicine they asked for is in stock and will be kept aside until a set date.→ Fewer unsold special orders

Service implicit

Home delivery statusConfirms the order, the bill amount and when the delivery boy will reach, with payment options.→ Fewer calls to the counter

Service implicit

Credit statement and duesSends the monthly credit balance to account customers straight from Marg or your billing software.→ Dues cleared sooner

Promotional

Store offers on wellness productsAnnounces offers on non-prescription items such as supplements, diapers or devices to consenting customers, never on prescription drugs.→ Higher footfall

Pharmacy SMS templates

Copy, edit and use these as a starting point.

Refill reminderService implicit

Dear {#var#}, your monthly medicines bought on {#var#} may finish by {#var#}. Visit us or call {#var#} for home delivery. -{#var#} Medicals

Special order readyService implicit

Dear {#var#}, the item you ordered (ref {#var#}) has arrived and is kept for you till {#var#}. Please carry your prescription. -{#var#} Medicals

Credit balanceService implicit

Dear {#var#}, your credit balance at {#var#} Medicals for {#var#} is Rs {#var#}. Kindly clear it by {#var#}. Thank you for shopping with us.

How does SMS work for pharmacies and chemists?

The bill is savedYour pharmacy billing software records the customer, items and days of supply.
A refill date is setThe software or a simple sheet calculates when the supply runs out.
The reminder goes outMsgClub sends the refill SMS a few days before that date.
The customer returnsThey visit or call for delivery, and the next bill restarts the cycle.

Connect your softwareThe MsgClub plugin for Marg sends bill and dues SMS from the billing software many chemists already use; other pharmacy software can call the API, or you can upload a refill list from Excel. SMS API · API and webhooks · Pricing

ComplianceDo not name prescription medicines or conditions in SMS, and never advertise Schedule H or other prescription drugs, which Indian drug laws restrict. Send offers only on general products, as promotional SMS within 10 am to 9 pm.

Which other channels suit pharmacies and chemists?

Use them together from one account, with shared contacts, reports and webhooks.

WhatsApp for pharmacies and chemistsCan pharmacies use WhatsApp Business API?See WhatsApp

RCS for pharmacies and chemistsHow do pharmacies use RCS messaging?See RCS

IVR for pharmacies and chemistsHow do pharmacies use IVR?See IVR

Voice broadcast for pharmacies and chemistsHow can a pharmacy use voice call reminders?See Voice broadcast

Missed call for pharmacies and chemistsHow do pharmacies use a missed call number?See Missed call

AI calling for pharmacies and chemistsTwo-way AI agents that talk to callers in Hindi, English and other Indian languages, unlike a recorded message.See AI Voice

Compare every channel for pharmacies and chemists

Questions about bulk SMS for pharmacies and chemists

Can a chemist send SMS from Marg billing software?

Yes. MsgClub has a plugin for Marg, the billing software many chemists use, so bill amounts, receipts and credit dues can go out as SMS from your existing setup. You still need your own DLT entity, header and templates registered first.

Should refill reminders name the medicine?

Better not. A message that names a diabetes or psychiatric medicine can reveal a health condition to anyone who sees the phone. Say 'your monthly medicines' and keep the details on the bill. This also keeps the template simple to register.

Can pharmacies send discount SMS on medicines?

Promote only general products such as supplements, baby care or devices, as promotional SMS from a numeric header between 10 am and 9 pm. Advertising prescription medicines to the public is restricted under Indian drug laws, so keep those out of offers entirely.

Do refill reminders need customer consent?

A reminder about medicines the customer buys from you regularly fits service implicit, as it follows from an existing purchase. Still, ask at the counter whether they want reminders and stop for anyone who says no; it builds trust and supports DPDP compliance.

Is WhatsApp better than SMS for a pharmacy?

WhatsApp works well for customers who want to send a prescription photo and get a quote. SMS is better for refill reminders and dues because it reaches older customers and every phone without an opt-in. Many chemists use SMS for reminders and WhatsApp for orders.

Can I send SMS in the local language to my customers?

Yes. Register Unicode templates in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil or any other language and choose the template per customer. Older customers often respond better to a refill reminder in their own language.