Probiotics are written alongside antibiotics more than with anything else. A child gets amoxicillin for an ear infection and a probiotic sachet to go with it. An adult with loose motions gets a spore-based capsule. That steady pairing is why a probiotics franchise fits well with any range that already has antibiotics in it.
The companies listed above sell probiotics under their own brands. Before you choose one, it is worth knowing that not every probiotic on the market is the same kind of product in the eyes of the law, and that the number on the label can mean very different things.
Drug or supplement: two kinds of probiotic
Some probiotics are approved and sold as drugs. Spore-forming strains like Bacillus clausii and products like Saccharomyces boulardii, along with lactic acid bacillus tablets, fall in this group. They are made in a drug-licensed plant and carry a drug label, and doctors write them like any other medicine.
Many others are sold as food supplements under FSSAI rules for health supplements and nutraceuticals. These carry an FSSAI licence number and cannot make treatment claims on the label. They are sold through the same doctors and chemists, but the paperwork, the label wording and what your MR can say are different. Ask the company which type each of its products is, and check the label before you print visual aids around it.
Formats and where each one sells
- Capsules for adults, written by physicians and gastroenterologists, often with antibiotics.
- Sachets that can be mixed in water or food, popular with paediatricians and for older patients who cannot swallow capsules.
- Oral suspensions and mini bottles for children, which sell well where paediatric practice is strong.
A useful range has at least one product in each format, plus a spore-based option and a multi-strain blend.
Pack size matters too. Doctors usually write a five to ten day course alongside the antibiotic, so strips of ten capsules and boxes of five or ten sachets suit the prescription. A probiotics franchise with only large packs will lose sales to brands that match the course length.
The CFU number: at manufacture or at expiry
CFU (colony forming units) tells you how many live organisms are in a dose. The catch is that live organisms die over time, especially in heat. A label that says "5 billion CFU" may mean at the time of making, and the actual count after a year in a hot chemist shop can be much lower.
Ask the company whether the stated CFU is assured until expiry, and request a recent certificate of analysis. Spore-forming strains hold up better in Indian conditions than many non-spore strains, which often need cool storage. If a product's carton says "store below 25 °C" or "refrigerate", plan your godown and your chemists accordingly, or that stock will lose value on the shelf.
Terms to compare before you sign
Probiotics carry reasonable margins, so companies compete on price. Look beyond PTR and MRP. Check the minimum first order, monopoly area, remaining shelf life on dispatched stock, and the expiry and return policy. Short-dated probiotic stock is hard to sell, and a chemist who gets stuck with it once will be slow to reorder. Also ask what promotional inputs come with the range, such as visual aids for paediatric visits and sample sachets.
Send a requirement from this page
Fill the free form on this page to get offers for a probiotics franchise. Write the formats you want (capsules, sachets, suspension), whether you prefer drug-licensed products, supplement products or both, your district or state, your expected first order and your start date. Your number is not shown publicly. Only companies with a matching range in your area receive it, and they contact you directly.
Related pages: Capsules and Protein Powder. Molecules most listed here: Lactic Acid Bacillus, Cefixime, Probiotic.
