Knuspr is transforming the pharmaceutical industry, and distribution demands are rising

Pharmacy assortments are moving to where customers already shop for groceries or order food. Health products now arrive with regular shopping or via courier within minutes. Services like Knuspr and Wolt are changing not only how we shop but also the demands placed on the pharmaceutical market and its distribution.

E-commerce and pharmaceutical distribution are becoming more integrated than ever. This year, Pilulka made part of its assortment available via Wolt (Pharma Profit, 2026) and for PHOENIX lékárenský velkoobchod, s. r. o., the partnership with Knuspr accounts for roughly a quarter of their online revenue, and their own e-shop is growing by 12 to 14% annually. (Systémy Logistiky, 2026)

However, behind the seemingly simple concept of "fast delivery" lies more than just a requirement for quicker dispatch. The deciding factors are product availability at a specific time and place, properly managed inventory, turnover rates, and the ability to react to demand fluctuations. In an era of rising costs, speed cannot be achieved simply by building larger warehouses or increasing delivery frequency. Distributors are seeking a balance between availability, supply frequency, capacity, and working capital management.

Moreover, in the distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and veterinary products, the margin for error is minimal. Manufacturers, distributors, warehouses, and customers must all work with accurate, real-time data regarding orders and deliveries. Added to this are traceability, batch and expiration tracking, and for some products, strict temperature controls and other regulatory requirements mandated by the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL). Therefore, increased speed must go hand in hand with greater control over the entire flow.

This is precisely why the importance of digital readiness across the entire supply chain is growing. Every partner whose data requires manual adjustment, verification, or re-entry slows down the entire chain and increases the risk of errors.

The quality of a partnership is thus increasingly judged by more than just price, product, and delivery deadlines. It is becoming standard to provide accurate, structured data, adhere to agreed-upon communication methods, and enable customers to automate subsequent processes without manual intervention.

For more technologically advanced distributors, it will become increasingly difficult to maintain long-term partnerships with those who fail to meet these requirements. Companies are therefore increasingly turning to solutions for managing the flow of data and documents across the pharmaceutical network – such as those from GRiT. These help maintain the necessary level of connectivity and control.

Further pressure for digitalization is also coming from the European Union. As of January 1, 2027, Slovakia is introducing mandatory electronic invoicing for domestic transactions within a defined scope, and the ViDA rules will bring digital reporting of cross-border B2B transactions based on e-invoicing starting in July 2030. In the Czech Republic, a deadline for mandatory domestic B2B e-invoicing has not yet been set, but the pressure for the unification and digitalization of documents within the EU will continue to grow.