India, Sept. 12 -- Startup column | Pharma-tech

A frightening night involving her daughter's health gave pharmaceutical chemist Dipmala Patil the idea for Pharmaish. Her daughter had developed a fever of 103.4degF. Patil had a doctor's prescription, but getting the medicines on time was still difficult. The gap between medical advice and access became suddenly and personally clear.

"That experience made me realise that having a prescription does not always mean having easy access to the medicines prescribed," says Patil, founder of Pune-based Pharmaish Private Limited. "It made me ask a simple question: if technology can simplify so many everyday journeys, why should the prescription journey remain complicated?"

Patil began speaking to...