Digital Transformation: Pharmacy Services Now Available via WhatsApp
The digitalisation of healthcare services continues to evolve alongside changing public behaviour, as people increasingly rely on digital platforms to meet their daily needs. Beyond hospitals and telemedicine, the health retail sector is beginning to utilise familiar messaging applications to provide faster and more accessible services. This trend is driving various industry players to develop digital service channels that are closer to their customers.
One such initiative is being undertaken by VIVA Apotek through the development of WhatsApp Commerce. This service allows customers to obtain product information, consult on health needs, and place orders all through a single platform. This innovation recently received recognition through the Top Innovation Choice Award 2026, an honour bestowed for digital service developments deemed capable of improving customer access to healthcare.
The President Director of VIVA Apotek, Haryanto Winata, stated that digital transformation must deliver tangible benefits to the public, particularly regarding ease of access and service speed. “This award is an appreciation of the entire VIVA Apotek team’s commitment to delivering healthcare innovations that are relevant to today’s societal needs. We believe that digital transformation must be able to provide ease of access, speed of service, and a more personal and seamless customer experience,” he said.
According to Haryanto, the company will continue to strengthen the development of digital services to support easier, faster, and more integrated healthcare access for the Indonesian people. Through WhatsApp Commerce, customers can access various health product details, consult on product requirements, and place orders without needing to switch between different platforms. This approach is part of the company’s strategy to provide a simpler and more efficient customer experience.
This service is also part of the company’s digital transformation to integrate technology and healthcare services into a single, more reachable ecosystem. In addition to increasing customer convenience, this approach is considered capable of strengthening more responsive and user-oriented services.
The Head of WhatsApp Commerce at VIVA Apotek, Muhammad Edi Irfandianto, noted that customer demand for fast and easily accessible services is steadily increasing. “We see that customers today require services that are quick, easy, and accessible at any time. Therefore, WhatsApp Commerce serves not just as a communication channel, but as a more practical healthcare solution that is closer to the customer,” he said.
He added that using messaging applications as a service channel offers an advantage because they are already part of the public’s daily activities. Consequently, customers do not need to learn new platforms to access their various healthcare needs. As digital technology adoption increases within the healthcare sector, industry players are expected to continue developing more integrated and accessible services. Digitalisation is no longer viewed merely as the use of technology, but as an effort to provide services that are more relevant to the needs of modern society.