Zoom Pharmacy to sell Tazi menstrual product online

Zoom Pharmacy will distribute the reusable menstrual health product Tazi across New Zealand through its online pharmacy platform, giving the product a national route to market with remote pharmacist support.

The rollout is built around a digital pharmacy model designed to give people in urban, regional and rural areas the same ability to order the product online and seek advice from qualified pharmacists. The system combines patient communication, pharmacy processing and delivery logistics in one service.

Tazi was developed in New Zealand over five years of research, testing and consumer consultation. It is described as the first bendable sanitary applicator designed for reuse across multiple menstrual cycles, with a protected insertion method intended to reduce direct skin contact and lessen reliance on disposable plastic applicators.

The distribution arrangement reflects a wider challenge in menstrual health retailing: access to specialist products can vary outside major centres, and some consumers may prefer not to ask questions in person. By moving those conversations online, the companies aim to widen access while creating a direct link between pharmacists and users.

Zoom Pharmacy operates an in-house technology platform that manages customer communication, prescription processing and fulfilment. Automated dispensing systems, including a medicine-dispensing robot, handle routine processing, allowing pharmacists to focus on advice and support.

Joanne Jung, Lead Pharmacist at Zoom Pharmacy, said online access could help close gaps between major centres and smaller communities.

"People in smaller centres and rural communities do not always have the same access to new health products or to pharmacists who can discuss how those products should be used," Jung said.

She said the model could also help people who are reluctant to seek information face to face.

"Through an online pharmacy model, consumers can ask questions, receive qualified advice and arrange delivery without needing to travel or discuss a personal health issue face to face. That is particularly relevant in menstrual health, where stigma can still prevent people from seeking information or support," Jung said.

Jung said the service goes beyond simple online ordering.

"The value of the model is not simply that products can be purchased online. It brings together professional advice, patient communication, fulfilment and nationwide delivery in a single service," she said.

Feedback loop

Another element of the launch is the collection of consumer questions and concerns as the product moves into broader use. The online structure gives Zoom Pharmacy a direct view of what information people seek, which parts of the product they find hard to understand and where extra education may be needed.

Jung said those early conversations would matter as the product reaches more consumers.

"When a new type of health product is introduced, the questions consumers ask are an important part of the learning process. Those conversations can show where instructions need to be clearer, which misconceptions need to be addressed and what information gives consumers greater confidence. The findings from New Zealand can then help shape educational resources and pharmacist support for women in other countries as the product enters new markets," she said.

For Tazi, the pharmacy arrangement was selected partly because it combines nationwide access with professional support. Peter Price, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Tazi, said that was important for a product entering a new category.

"A new product category requires a higher level of explanation and consumer support than an established product. Consumers may have questions about how the product works, how it is used and whether it is appropriate for them. The online pharmacy model means people can access that advice as well as the product, regardless of their location," Price said.

Price said the direct feedback available through the online pharmacy channel would be harder to gather through conventional retail distribution.

"The New Zealand launch is not only about making the product available. It is also an opportunity to understand how consumers respond once it moves from a controlled research environment into everyday use. Feedback from consumers and pharmacists will help us identify education gaps, refine the way the product is explained and develop resources that are relevant to women in different markets. What we learn in New Zealand will help inform how Tazi is launched, supported and communicated in other countries," he said.

Launch market

New Zealand was chosen as the first market after local product development and testing. Women in New Zealand helped shape the design and functionality during the research phase, and the market offers a useful testing ground because sanitary product use is relatively evenly divided between applicator and non-applicator products, according to Tazi.

Environmental concerns also underpin the product's design. Around 12 billion disposable menstrual products are used globally each year, Tazi said, many of them containing plastic components that end up in landfill or waterways.

Price said local input had been central to the product's development.

"New Zealand women were involved throughout the development process and helped shape the product's design and functionality. The next phase will allow us to gather further insights into consumer adoption and use before expanding into larger international markets," he said.