In an effort to improve patient compliance and provide them support services, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has rolled out its Purple Health initiative across its 250 brands.

The effort is to go beyond the pill and this includes services to support products identified under the initiative, besides rolling out new packaging across all its brands, said MV Ramana, DRL’s Executive Vice President and Head of branded markets (India and Emerging countries). As a result, customers will be able to read product expiry and manufacturing dates, even if the pack has been peeled, he explained.

Elderly patients taking medicines twice a day, for example, will have simple boxes to tick that will help better compliance, he added. Such initiatives could be taken to the emerging markets as well, he indicated, given the increasing ageing population in these regions.

He said that five select products have been identified as Purple stars, and are being supported by patient support services. For instance, someone taking medicines for an advanced kidney condition would be supported by messages and counselling on diet, medicine and so on. Another 25 brands have also been selected for such support services over the next six months, he said, adding that they were selected through an external panel and would be assessed after a two-year period.

More products are being put through this evaluation to gauge if they need such support, he said. And since these are prescription products, patients would be told of the services through their doctors, he added. The research and design of the packaging prototype and so on, will require about ₹12-15 crore investment, he said.

jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in

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