Russia’s Biggest Online Retailers Are Opening Digital Pharmacies

Yandex and Wildberries, two of Russia’s largest e-commerce players, are moving into online drug sales, signaling a new push to digitize access to medicine.

Yandex has officially launched a dedicated service called “Yandex Pharmacies,” built as an aggregator. Its catalog already lists around 70,000 products, allowing users to compare prices and order medications that may not be available nearby. Customers can choose courier delivery or in-store pickup — though prescriptions require pickup only. The service is live in 200 cities.

The platform’s major update is expected this fall: Yandex plans to let users order scarce medications, which will be shipped from warehouses to local pharmacies within one or two days. The feature is accessible both on the company’s website and through the Yandex Go app.

Wildberries, meanwhile, has partnered with one of the country’s largest pharmacy chains. At this stage, the marketplace offers over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, medical devices, and cosmetics. The service is already active across 47 regions. Courier delivery to customers’ doors takes as little as five hours, and in Moscow and the surrounding area buyers can pick up orders from 80 partner locations branded as “Eapteka.” The company says it plans to scale nationwide soon.

The expansion of digital pharmacy services, analysts note, could make medicines more accessible, improve price transparency, and boost convenience in a sector that has traditionally been slow to modernize.