Contact Us

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday: 8:30am to 12:30pm

Panduan Untuk Membuka sebuah Farmasi di Malaysia

Membuka sebuah farmasi
Membuka sebuah farmasi

Panduan Untuk Membuka sebuah Farmasi di Malaysia

Sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, penubuhan farmasi seperti cendawan tumbuh selepas hujan di negara kita. Sering kali kita melihat ada saja farmasi baru ditubuhkan diseluruh Malaysia.

Farmasi merupakan salah satunya bidang kesihatan yang paling hampir dengan komuniti atau masyarakat awam. 

Baru baru ini farmasi runcit telah menjadi tumpuan utama apabila berlakunya peyebaran wabak penyakit virus Covid-19. Mereka berasa lebih selesa dan senang mengunjungi farmasi tempatan untuk mendapatkan bantuan dan bekalan ubat-ubatan yang diperlukan.

Pasaran farmasi yang semakin meningkat menyebabkan sesetengah ahli farmasi mempunyai angan-angan untuk memiliki farmasi sendiri.

Di bawah, kita akan membincangkan panduan asas yang perlu anda tahu sekiranya ingin membuka sebuah farmasi runcit di Malaysia.

1. Membuat Perancangan (Make a Plan)

Fasa pertama sebelum membuka mana-mana perniagaan anda hendaklah melakukan kajian dan perancangan terlebih dahulu, ianya bukanlah perkara yang mudah untuk membuka sesuatu perniagaan kerana banyak cabaran yang perlu anda lalui.

Mungkin sekarang anda sudah mempunyai lokasi atau telah membeli lot kedai untuk menubuhkan sebuah farmasi runcit. Salah satu faktor yang paling penting dalam kejayaan sesebuah perniagaan ialah memilih lokasi yang betul.

Lokasi memainkan peranan yang penting untuk menentukan kejayaan sesebuah farmasi kerana ia bergantung kepada pelanggan yang lalu lalang (walk-in customers) dan komuniti setempat. Cari tempat yang mempunyai banyak lalu lintas. Ini bermaksud laluan ke farmasi anda akan kerap dilalui oleh pelanggan ideal anda.

Selain itu, kaji dahulu populasi dan fahami keperluan pelanggan. Lakukan kajian di farmasi semasa (jika ada) dan merancang sesuatu yang baharu dan berlainan untuk menarik perhatian penduduk tempatan supaya mereka memilih farmasi anda berbanding farmasi yang lain.

2. Mendaftarkan perniagaan dibawah Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM).

ssm logo

Penubuhan sebuah syarikat yang berdaftar di Malaysia, selalunya ialah syarikat enterprise ataupun sendirian berhad. Syarikat Sdn Bhd lebih diutamakan kerana ia mempunyai modal berbayar (paid-up capital) yang lebih besar.

Jenis pendaftaran syarikat yang paling biasa kita lihat di Malaysia ialah ‘Sendirian Berhad’ atau Sdn Bhd.

Mengikut Akta Syarikat 2016, hanya 1 pengarah dan 1 pemegang saham diperlukan untuk membentuk syarikat Sdn Bhd.

Memandangkan anda ingin membuka dan menubuhkan farmasi di Malaysia, anda perlu mendaftarkan syarikat dibawah Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM), di bawah Akta Pendaftaran Perniagaan 1956. Untuk pengetahuan anda, semua perniagaan perlu didaftarkan dibawah SSM.

Selepas melakukan pendaftaran secara online. Anda perlu mengunjungi pejabat SSM berhampiran anda untuk pengesahan pengenalan diri.

Yuran pendaftaran syarikat ialah sebanyak RM1,010.

Panduan pendaftaran syarikat adalah seperti berikut:

  1. Pendaftaran akaun di portal MyCoID
  2. Aktifkan akaun anda di kaunter SSM
  3. Kemudian, anda akan menerima kelayakan log masuk portal MyCoID selepas pengaktifan akaun
  4. Carian nama syarikat pada Aplikasi Pemerbadanan Langsung di laman utama portal MyCoID
  5. Maklumat lain di bawah Carian Nama
  6. Borang Super untuk menentukan nama syarikat yang dicadangkan.
  7. Pemilihan dan penerangan kod perniagaan
  8. Maklumat pengarah dan pemegang saham
  9. Penyerahan permohonan
  10. Buat bayaran RM1,000 sebagai yuran pemerbadanan (sebelum cukai) dan dapatkan resit transaksi
  11. Notis Pendaftaran sebagai bukti penubuhan diterima melalui e-mel

p/s: Pendaftaran syarikat hendaklah selewat-lewatnya tiga puluh (30) hari dari tarikh bermulanya perniagaan.

3. Semak Garis Panduan Farmasi Komuniti.

Semak garis panduan farmasi komuniti

Garis panduan ini dilaksanakan bagi tujuan mengekalkan imej profesional farmasi runcit.

Selain itu, senarai semak disediakan adalah sebagai rujukan tentang piawaian yang perlu dipatuhi bagi tujuan penyediaan amalan farmasi komuniti.

Secara ringkasnya, terdapat 4 faktor utama yang perlu kita ambil kira, iaitu pengurusan farmasi, susun atur premis, amalan farmasi dan prosedur operasi standard (SOP).

i) Pengurusan

Mengikut garis panduan yang telah ditetapkan, ahli farmasi haruslah mempunyai kawalan pengurusan penuh ke atas farmasi komuniti.

Perniagaan hendaklah dimiliki sepenuhnya oleh ahli farmasi  yang berdaftar. Sekiranya berkongsi, tanpa mengira bilangan rakan kongsi, Ahli Farmasi Berdaftar hendaklah mempunyai kepentingan sekurang-kurangnya 51 %.    

Jika perniagaan dimiliki oleh Syarikat, maka ianya mestilah berdaftar  dengan Pertubuhan Perbadanan di bawah Seksyen  13, Akta Pendaftaran Farmasi 1951.

Selain itu, ahli farmasi harus mempunyai peranan dan hak dalam lembaga eksekutif dan memiliki ekuiti saham.

Walau bagaimanapun, jika ahli farmasi bukan salah seorang pemegang saham utama dalam syarikat anda, maka anda perlu mendaftar di bawah Badan Korporat.   

ii) Premis

Farmasi runcit wajib mematuhi akta dan undang-undang Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan.

Sebaik-baiknya, premis tidak boleh dikongsi dengan perniagaan lain yang bukan berkaitan dengan farmasi.

Sekiranya berkongsi, kedua-dua premis mestilah mempunyai pengasingan penuh pada papan tanda dan haruslah jelas untuk dilihat.

Papan tanda di farmasi anda juga harus memaparkan imej profesional. Di mana papan tanda tidak boleh meletakkan sebarang jenis iklan.

Papan tanda anda mestilah hanya mempamerkan profesyen ‘farmasi’, ‘dispensary’ atau lain-lain nama yang membawa maksud yang sama dan mempunyai saiz sekurang-kurangnya 80 % dari saiz keseluruhan papan tanda termasuk lah logo atau slogan syarikat  (jika ada).   

Jika anda bercadang untuk memaparkan iklan produk, ia mestilah mengikut perundangan yang berkaitan. Contohnya, iklan mengenai “Racun” hendaklah mendapatkan kelulusan daripada Lembaga Iklan Ubat terlebih dahulu sebelum memaparkannya.

Anda juga harus memaparkan ‘Notis Ahli Farmasi Bertugas’ yang merangkumi foto ahli farmasi anda, nama ahli farmasi dan juga masa/hari bertugas.

Ubat-ubatan disusun secara sistematik. Pengasingan  yang jelas mengikut kategori item (contoh: vitamin dan produk bayi).

Selain itu, pengasingan ubat-ubatan yang digunakan secara internal dan external. Bagi ubat-ubatan dengan nama dan pembungkusan yang sama hendaklah diasingkan bagi mengelakkan berlakunya kesilapan semasa pendispensan.

Malahan, perkhidmatan penyaringan kesihatan boleh dipamerkan di atas papan tanda bersaiz kecil di bahagian dalam farmasi seperti;

– ujian paras gula dalam darah
– ujian paras kolestrol
– ujian kehamilan
– ujian kumpulan darah
– pemonitoran tekanan darah secara elektronik

Jika anda bercadang untuk menjual ubat-ubatan yang disimpan pada suhu rendah, maka anda harus menyediakan peti sejuk untuk penyimpanan ubat sejuk tersebut. Perlu diingat bahawa peti sejuk harus direkod pada setiap hari.

Manakala, ruang lain yang diperlukan di farmasi anda ialah ruang pendispensan ubat, ruang kaunseling dan ruang menunggu.

Ruang pendispensan ubat, ianya mesti mempunyai papan tanda yang jelas seperti ‘Prescription Counter’ atau ‘Kaunter Farmasi’.

Anda juga perlu menyimpan beberapa buku rujukan sama ada secara fizikal atau dalam talian untuk rujukan semasa memberi kaunseling kepada pesakit.

Antaranya:-

 – Semua Akta Farmasi yang berkaitan Martindal
 – BNF/Australian Formulary
 – BPC/Pharmaceutical Codex

Disamping itu, semua ubat-ubatan yang dikawal di bawah Akta Racun 1952 hendaklah disimpan dan dipamerkan mengikut keperluan undang- undang yang dikuatkuasakan. Item yang dikelaskan sebagai Racun Kumpulan C, Bahagian I, Perintah Senarai Racun  hendaklah dipamerkan dalam kabinet berkunci di bawah pengawasan Ahli Farmasi.

Bagi Racun Kumpulan B, Bahagian I,  Perintah Senarai Racun pula hendaklah disimpan di dalam kabinet berkunci yang sukar diakses oleh pelanggan.  

Penyimpanan stok ubat di stor juga hendaklah mengikut Amalan Penstoran Baik (GSP).

Sementara itu, anda juga harus mengambil langkah kawalan perosak yang sesuai. Prosedur pembersihan harian dan jadual pembersihan juga mesti ditetapkan dan disediakan bagi mengekalkan kebersihan di farmasi anda.

Untuk keperluan keselamatan, ia mesti mematuhi semua keperluan seperti pintu kecemasan, penggera kebakaran dan alat pemadam api.

Insurans pampasan pekerja juga adalah penting sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga untuk melindungi liabiliti majikan bagi pekerja atau pekerja yang cedera yang menderita penyakit pekerjaan dari tempat kerja.

iii) Praktis

Mengikut garis panduan, farmasi runcit harus beroperasi sekurang-kurangnya 40 jam bersama ahli farmasi.

Terdapat beberapa perkhidmatan yang farmasi perlu ada. Ianya:

  • Pemeriksaan preskripsi
  • Pendispensan ubat-ubatan
  • Kaunseling dan nasihat
  • Ujian pemantauan dan saringan
  • Pengurusan farmasi dalam pembelian ubat
  • Dokumentasi

Farmasi anda juga boleh menawarkan perkhidmatan pilihan seperti “Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic” (MTAC) atau “Home Medication Review” (HMR) dan sebagainya.

Seterusnya, sebanyak 70% daripada produk di farmasi anda mestilah terdiri daripada produk farmaseutikal berdaftar, produk kesihatan dan pemakanan, alat-alatan pembedahan dan perubatan, penjagaan diri dan bantuan pemulihan.

Penjualan ubat-ubatan atau suplemen yang tidak berdaftar dibawah KKM yang boleh membahayakan kesihatan pelanggan adalah dilarang sama sekali, manakala produk bukan farmasi harus diminimumkan.

Sementara itu, sama ada anda seorang ahli farmasi atau anda mengupah ahli farmasi lain di farmasi runcit anda, terdapat beberapa pekara yang perlu anda ketahui. Antaranya:-

  • Pertama, ahli farmasi hendaklah berdaftar dengan Lembaga Farmasi Malaysia dan mematuhi Kod etika dan Tatakelakuan.
  • Kedua, ahli farmasi yang bertanggungjawab juga harus mengekalkan imej profesional dengan memakai Dress Code seperti kot/jubah putih farmasi serta memakai tanda nama “Pharmacist”.
  • Ketiga, ahli farmasi juga harus memastikan semua rekod dan dokumen dikemaskini seperti yang dikehendaki oleh undang-undang farmasi di Malaysia.
  • Setiap rekod perniagaan perlu disimpan sekurang-kurangnya 2 tahun.
  • Menyediakan Buku Preskripsi, fail Preskripsi serta Buku Racun C (jika anda menjual ubat Racun C) untuk rekod pengeluaran ubat Racun di farmasi anda.
  • Akhir sekali, buku Preskripsi anda hendaklah dibahagikan kepada beberapa kolum dan disetiap kolum tersebut mempunyai butiran seperti tarikh, nombor siri preskripsi, nama pesakit, nombor kad pengenalan pesakit, alamat pesakit, nama item dan kuantiti.

iv) Prosedur Operasi Standard (SOP)

Semua kakitangan farmasi mesti dilatih dan mematuhi segala prosedur operasi standard dengan baik.

Ini untuk memastikan, jika pelanggan datang ke farmasi anda untuk mendapatkan rawatan, kakitangan farmasi harus tahu bila masa dan bagaimana untuk merujuk pelanggan kepada ahli farmasi. Tidak lupa juga ahli farmasi perlu tahu bila masa untuk merujuk pelanggan kepada doktor.

Ahli farmasi juga harus menawarkan khidmat kaunseling yang sesuai dan menilai masalah kesihatan selepas mendapatkan maklumat penting seperti umur pesakit atau berapa lama mengalami penyakit tersebut. Nasihat dan sesi kaunseling diberi sama ada dari segi farmakologi atau bukan farmakologi.

Pastikan pesakit memahami sepenuhnya semasa sesi kaunseling dijalankan mengenai penerangan keadaan diri semasa, cara pengambilan dan penggunaan ubat yang betul serta pencegahan.

Semasa proses pembekalan ubat kepada pesakit, ahli farmasi perlu mematuhi “Good Dispensing Practice”.

Garis panduan termasuk cara melabelkan ubat serta keperluan semasa pendispensan ubat kepada pesakit. Ini adalah untuk memastikan ubat yang betul diberikan kepada pesakit yang betul.

Selain itu, ahli farmasi harus mempunyai pengetahuan yang luas tentang ubat tiruan.

Ini untuk memastikan ahli farmasi lebih berhati-hati dan hanya akan membeli ubat daripada sumber yang sah serta dapat menyedarkan lebih ramai orang tentang cara bagaimana untuk membezakan mana satu ubat original dan ubat tiruan.

Seperti yang dinyatakan sebelum ini, susun atur pelan lantai klinik anda perlu mematuhi garis panduan/peraturan yang telah ditetapkan.

Di bawah adalah contoh pelan lantai di farmasi.

pelan lantai di farmasi

Pelan lantai farmasi runcit.

4. Dapatkan Lesen Farmasi

Lesen-Mayflax

Memohon lesen Jenis A adalah salah satu langkah yang paling penting dalam membuka farmasi runcit. Farmasi runcit tidak boleh beroperasi jika tiada lesen.

Oleh itu, jangan risau kerana permohonan lesen ini agak mudah sekiranya anda mempunyai semua dokumen-dokumen yang diperlukan.

Anda boleh menghantar permohonan di laman web mypharma-c. Terdapat beberapa dokumen yang perlu dimuatnaikkan untuk memohon lesen ini, antaranya ialah:

  • Salinan kad pengenalan pemohon
  • Gambar bersaiz pasport
  • Sijil Ahli Farmasi Berdaftar Penuh
  • Sijil Amalan Tahunan (ARC) untuk tahun semasa
  • Sijil SSM
  • Sijil Lesen Perdagangan, Perniagaan dan Industri
  • Pelan susun atur farmasi

Baca di sini untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang langkah-langkah cara memohon lesen farmasi.

Walau bagaimanapun, seperti yang dinyatakan sebelum ini, jika ahli farmasi bukan salah seorang pemegang saham utama dalam syarikat anda, maka perlulah mendaftar di bawah Badan Korporat.

Cara memohon Sijil Badan Korporat

Anda boleh memohon sijil ini secara online. Ia hanya akan mengambil masa sehingga 3 hari bekerja jika anda mempunyai semua dokumen yang diperlukan.

Apakah dokumen yang anda perlukan?

Untuk memohon Sijil Badan Korporat, pertama sekali, anda perlu mendaftar akaun dengan my Prisma.

Anda juga boleh menghantar pertanyaan kepada “PRiSMA Helpdesk” dan melakukan pertanyaan yang menyatakan bahawa anda ingin membuat akaun untuk memohon Sijil Badan Korporat.

Sertakan sekali e-mel yang akan anda gunakan untuk akaun yang dipohon serta nombor SSM syarikat.

Pastikan anda menukar kategori kepada ‘Badan Korporat’ atau ‘BC’.

Selepas itu, anda akan dapat pautan untuk log masuk kali pertama di email yang anda daftarkan.

Buat sesiapa yang pertama kali memohon Sijil Badan Korporat, bayaran tidak akan dikenakan. Untuk pembaharuan Sijil Badan Korporat sahaja yuran perlu dibayar.

Kemudian, klik pada ‘My Application’ dan mohon Sijil Badan Korporat untuk tahun semasa.

Isikan semua butiran yang diperlukan termasuk nama ahli farmasi syarikat anda, nombor pengenalan dan nombor pendaftaran. Anda juga perlu memasukkan butiran syarikat seperti nama dan alamat syarikat.

Dokumen yang diperlukan adalah:

  • Sijil Pendaftaran Syarikat
  • Salinan Butiran Pemberian Penyata dalam Daftar Pengarah, Pengurus Dan Setiausaha
  • Salinan Peruntukan Pulangan Saham

Sila ambil perhatian bahawa salinan dokumen mesti disahkan sama ada oleh ahli farmasi berdaftar atau pengamal perubatan berdaftar sahaja.

Semasa menandatangani dokumen ahli farmasi harus menulis nombor simpanan tahunan mereka.

Seterusnya, muat naik semua dokumen dan serahkannya.

Anda juga boleh merujuk kepada carta aliran di bawah mengenai proses permohonan sijil di PRiSMA.

Carta aliran untuk memohon sijil dalam PRiSMA

Carta aliran untuk memohon sijil dalam PRiSMA

Sebaik sahaja anda peroleh Sijil Badan Korporat, anda boleh menyerahkannya bersama-sama dokumen lain yang diperlukan untuk memohon Lesen A.

Selepas permohonan diluluskan, Pegawai pelesenan akan melawat premis anda untuk pemeriksaan bagi meluluskan permohonan lesen Jenis A anda.

Akhir sekali, anda boleh mengendali farmasi anda sebaik sahaja mendapat lesen. Juga, perlu diingatkan bahawa Lesen A perlu diperbaharui setiap tahun. Anda boleh memperbaharui lesen melalui laman web PRiSMA.

5. Lancarkan pembukaan farmasi anda

Sebelum pelancaran rasmi farmasi anda dibuka, penting untuk memberitahu kepada komuniti tentang farmasi anda.

Anda boleh memasarkan farmasi dengan mengiklankan melalui media sosial seperti facebook, instagram, twitter dan lain-lain. Pengiklanan dari segi papan tanda yang menarik perhatian juga boleh membantu menarik pelanggan yang lalu lalang.

“Soft opening” juga penting dalam memasarkan farmasi anda. Ia akan melibatkan diri anda dengan pelanggan baharu supaya dapat membina hubungan baik antara mereka. Ini dapat membina kepercayaan pelanggan kepada farmasi anda.

Kami di Mayflax boleh membantu anda untuk pembelian ubat-ubatan secara pukal. Dengan lebih 2,000 ubat di Mayflax, kami juga boleh membantu anda untuk mendapatkan ubat yang terbaik dengan harga yang lebih berbaloi.

Hubungi kami untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut lagi!

Penulis

Sarjana Muda Sains (Kepujian) Farmakologi,  Eksekutif Perhubungan Pelanggan, Mayflax salah satu syarikat penjagaan kesihatan dan pemasaran terkemuka.

Kongsi di platform ini

Pharmacists Expanding Their Role in Preventive Health Care

Pharmacist picture
Pharmacist picture

The role of pharmacists in the business has to evolves the model changes to meet the needs of the health care delivery system.

Today, pharmacists not just only manage medication systems like drug dispensing, pharmaceutical information, compound medicines, and ensure the accuracy of drug labels.

But, they can also provide patients with health monitoring and consultancy, as well as evaluate the need for clinical medication management for those with undiagnosed diseases.

Pharmacy is the third largest healthcare profession. Although Pharmacists are among the most accessible and visited healthcare professionals worldwide, yet their contributions to interdisciplinary healthcare settings are often overlooked.

In addition, lack of communication and relationship between healthcare professionals can create bad patient care, and lead to drug-related problems (DRPs). As a result, poorer health outcomes and experiences.

What they can do for a better health care delivery system?

The Pharmacist’s Role in Primary Care

A pharmacist’s responsibilities in primary care include providing direct patient care through medication management, examinations and screenings, managing chronic disease, drug information and education, collaboration, quality assurance, and research.

However, clinical pharmacists could make an important contribution to improving people’s health in their daily practice, For example:

  • Promoting prevention and identifying patients who are at risk of chronic illnesses.
  • Managing people with long-term health conditions like hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Ensure that medications are used safely and appropriately.
  • Give advice on living a healthy lifestyle.
  • Advising people who are eligible for NHS Health Checks.
  • Supporting public health campaigns
  • Providing expert knowledge on all public health programs available to the general public like vaccination and smoking cessation.

The ways pharmacists in preventive health care services:

The biggest ways pharmacists can be a victory in preventive care is by expanding services. One of its services is that disease prevention also helps your pharmacy succeed and serve the community.

Pharmacists play a key role in providing immunization services and identifying vaccine candidates. 

1. Vaccination

Flu vaccine picture

As a result of state legislation or practice agreements, pharmacists’ positions have been expanding, including the ability to administer immunizations. Furthermore, community pharmacists have been offering the seasonal flu vaccine as an advanced service under the pharmacy contract framework since 2015, complementing GP services.

Hence, the number of seasonal flu vaccinations has been rising every year. So, from September 2018 to March 2019, pharmacists provided 1,431,538 flu vaccinations, which increased patient options.

2. Cardiovascular disease (CVD)

The pharmacist also play an important role in identifying people with undiagnosed high blood pressure by conducting opportunistic tests for blood pressure and pulse rhythm testing.

Besides that, to support pharmacists in the primary care network, The NHS Long Term Plan sets out that the NHS will help them to find cases and treat people with conditions that have a high risk of developing CVD. So, preventative care can be provided promptly.

CVD NHS health check

3. NHS Health checks

NHS Health Check is design to improve health and wellbeing among adults ages 40-74 by detecting and managing individual risk factors for vascular disease and other conditions.

To maximize the impact of NHS Health Checks, pharmacy teams can:
  • Offering NHS Health Checks to eligible people that they can get a free check-up.
  • Handling patients who are eligible for an NHS Health Check should be referred if the service is not available on site.
  • Referring patients who have had an NHS Health Check to local behaviour change support services or back to the General Practitioner (GP) for appropriate clinical management, if they do not show the behaviour change support.
NHS health check

4. Blood pressure and atrial fibrillation

Hypertension is a serious condition that increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, lead to mortality. Across the nation, an estimated 5.6 million people suffer from hypertension without being diagnosed.

Hypertension undiagnosed

Pharmacy teams are well position to help identify the 5 million people with undiagnosed high blood pressure. Moreover, pharmacist can consult the patient with the lifestyle changes and benefit from appropriate clinical management. Besides, identifying people with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) by checking their pulse rhythms.

A pharmacist can help treat high blood pressure by:
  • Providing NHS Health Checks such as opportunistic blood pressure tests and pulse rhythm screening for patients and clients.
  • Referring patients who have high blood pressure to a healthy lifestyle or back to the GP for appropriate health management.
  • Managing blood pressure through medication and modifying risk factors.

The management of blood pressure by pharmacists is effective. 

5. Diet and obesity

Obesity is a complex disease that involves an excessive amount of body fat. It is a health problem that increases the risk of other diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.  Moreover, pharmacy teams can  advice the public about healthy eating messages through the use of the Eatwell Guide according to age, sex, and lifestyle.

Eatwell guide picture
Pharmacist could:
  • Educate and provide weight management programs and fitness regimens.
  • Health promotion activities such as education activities with invited speakers, such as dieticians.
  • Help customers to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI).

Pharmacists are encouraged to use their expertise to help communities to choose healthy foods and understand labels. Then, spread awareness to customers about a broad range of supplements and diet products. Also, tell them some of which are unlikely to be benefit to the majority of the population.

6. Substance misuse

Community pharmacists are in a good position to point out and support people misusing drugs by:

  • Identifying people who might be getting into problems with over-the-counter, as many people addicted to illicit drugs.
  • Participating in or contributing to the development of substance abuse prevention and assistance programs within healthcare organizations.
  • Collaborate with outpatient and ambulatory care providers to prevent substance abuse after discharge.
  • Providing pharmaceutical care to patients who are being treated for substance abuse and dependency.
  • Giving recommendations about the appropriate use of mood-altering substances to healthcare providers and the public, including those persons recovering from substance dependency and their caregivers.

7. Maternity and early years

Improving women’s health during pregnancy by reducing inequalities for all mothers and babies to protect the health of a baby in the future to ensure fetal morbidity and mortality. Moreover, pharmacists can help women understand the potentials risks associated with medication use and assist them with various areas of preconception and prenatal care. For instance, immunizations, folic acid use, and management of chronic diseases.

maternity picture
Preventive care for maternity:
  • Improve preconception health for women of childbearing age to improve wellbeing and reduce risk factors.
  • To increase the number of smoke free pregnancies, pharmacy teams can provide guidance by implementing the NICE guidelines.
  • Pharmacy teams could improve perinatal mental health by promoting good mental health, identifying and supporting perinatal depression, and providing referrals to appropriate services.
  • Promote a healthy weight and nutrition such as vitamin D and folic acid.
  • Pharmacists guide breastfeeding mothers regarding the use of both over-the-counter and prescription medicines.
  • Promote uptake of pertussis and influenza immunization for all pregnant women and immunization programs for children in their early years.

In conclusion

It is evident that pharmacy teams play an integral role in improving public health within all communities. Since pharmacies play a significant role in preventing and promoting health, they will remain a valuable and important resource for as long as these challenges persist.

Therefore, pharmacies are well positioned. It can create awareness and support healthy behaviour in patients with long term conditions, as they have regular contact with community pharmacies to collect their prescribed medicines.

Moreover, if you are looking for health care tips and clinical services, you can visit and  follow our page Mayflax to get more info!

About the author

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Pharmacology, is a Customer Relationship Executive of Mayflax, one of the nation’s leading healthcare and marketing companies.

Share this post

How Compliance Packaging Can Improve High-risk Patient Medication Adherence

Compliance Packaging

How Compliance Packaging Can Improve High-risk Patient Medication Adherence

There is a staggering percentage of people who don’t take their medication correctly, but pharmaceutical packaging aims to enhance patient compliance by using new technology to identify the causes of non-adherence.

Medication adherence plays a vital role in the prevention and successful management of chronic diseases, especially in high-risk patients. Compliance packaging is a key tool for managing this groups.

In healthcare, non-adherence to prescription drugs contributes to morbidity, and mortality. Poor medication adherence increases the likelihood of preventable disease progression,  avoidable doctor, and can lead to increase health care costs. 

“Drugs will not work if they are not taken,” says Dr. Axelrod. An estimated half of patients with a chronic illness struggle with medication adherence.

Besides, compliance packaging is low-cost, and it’s convenience for  patient to follow the prescriptions by doctor.  Using compliance packaging, such as blister packs and dosage strips, helps synchronize medication refills, and  enhances accessibility.

compliance packaging

Compliance packaging

How compliance packaging works

Health systems have a good opportunity to provide a compliance package to patients, but most of them do not offer. They usually pack manually or semi-automatically for a limited time but there are a few health systems that have embraced full automation of compliance packaging on their own.

Compliance packaging, also known as adherence packaging, combines all of a patient’s medications into a single package, for examples, blister packs or pouches. As a result,  it easier for them to follow their medication schedule.

Blister packs

To sort all the patient’s medication, the machine will do the process. The machine will organize patient’s medications according to the prescribed dosage, time, frequency, and direction.

That makes it easier for the patient to take the right drugs at the right time. Thus, it is an effective way to manage chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Patients with life-threatening conditions has greater risk of medication non-adherence. For instance, patients with HIV, hepatitis C, or a heart condition  must comply to the medications.

Medication adherence packaging

Medication adherence packaging is rapidly growing in community pharmacies nationally. Pharmacists play a leading role in supporting medication adherence.

The services often include packaging medications as either single-dose or multi-dose packs,  which allows the medications to be filled at the same time each month.

Furthermore, medication packs are designed to facilitate medication administration. The packaging are organized according to morning, noon, dinner, and bedtime dosing.

The majority of community pharmacies that offer medication adherence packaging services also provide patient contact services, such as phone calls. It is to identify and resolve medication-related problems and confirm the patient’s current drugs regimen. In addition, they will send an SMS reminder for the upcoming recharge.

The Challenges of Medication Adherence for High-Risk Patients

Medication adherence is highly related to daily routine, and patients need to take drugs as indicated. Patients will miss the doses, when they need to manage their own medications with 8 or 10 different medicines every day.

Furthermore, the researchers found that 62% of polypharmacy members sometimes forgot to take their medications as prescribed. Then, 37% ran out of drugs before they could renew them, and 23% admitted that they had not paid enough attention to how they were taking their drugs.

Benefits for patients and payers

The compliance package is good for any patient who must take medication several times a day because of their chronic diseases. Thus, patients most likely to benefit from compliance packaging are those whose caregivers may be far or too busy to manage family members’ medications.

  • Makes it easier for patients to get all their medications in one container and delivered directly to their home.
  • It’s easy for patients to take drugs without having to remember unnecessary things.
  • Create a seamless care network by improving coordination between prescribers and pharmacists, eliminating gaps in care that can exacerbate health outcomes.
  • Results in a better patient experience which improves engagement and health outcomes.

Benefits for your health system

i. Patient loyalty.
Patient loyalty

Patients who have a good experience with compliance packaging are more likely to return when they require care in the future.

ii. Prescription refills.

The compliance packaging provide beneficial way that will encourage and ease the patents to refill their medications at your center.

However, compliance packaging is a cost-effective way to support better medication adherence for high-risk patients. A medication adherence plan can help members achieve long-term health goals and avoid financial waste by implementing more intuitive and proactive medication management strategies.

Considering both the clinical and business benefits of compliance packaging, I believe most health systems will do compliance packaging by themselves or through a third party within the next five years.

Will your system be one of them?

Pillplan is one of the pharmaceutical healthcare that provides compliance packaging to the customer. PillPlan is helping Malaysians stay healthy by making medication easier to access and manage. If you want to know more info about PillPlan please check it out here!

About the author

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Pharmacology, is a Customer Relationship Executive of Mayflax, one of the nation’s leading healthcare and marketing companies.

Share this post

The Future of Independent Pharmacy: Enhancing Patient Care

Pharmacy Pic

The Future of Independent Pharmacy: Enhancing Patient Care

Pharmacy Pic

The success of your independent pharmacy depends on improving the patient experience and patient care in today’s value-based care environment.

Now is the time to examine your processes and offerings to understand what your pharmacy can do to better care for patients.

Hence, many pharmacists realize that in the future, their role will be more focused on the patient rather than the product. It can be predicted that their attention will shift from dispensing to providing suitable clinical care.

1. Engage patients with technology

digital technology

In modern times, to remain competitive and useful to patients, your independent pharmacy needs to adapt to new technology.

The following services will help your pharmacy succeed by upgrading to today’s technology:

  • The ability to fill prescriptions on the go with a mobile app
  • Online ordering for same or next-day home delivery
  • Remind patients to take their medication or to renew their prescriptions via text message

Some patients may benefit from text reminders when their prescriptions are ready. Meanwhile, others might prefer email.

Healthcare services are rapidly changing due to technology. Patients can often access their dispensing records online through many pharmacies to order prescriptions and have them delivered to their homes.

2. Focus on providing individualized care to patients

pharmacist pic

These day, patient tend to want more individualized and specific care because they want our attention and want us to remember their faces when visit the pharmacy.

From that, they know we are providing our best services to them. 

  • Ease patient experience

Frankly, patients want their pharmacy experience to be more convenient and practical. Besides that, they want transactions to be seamless every time come to the pharmacy.

Mostly, they don’t like to repeat so many times and like when pharmacy staff remembers who they are and do not have to explain things multiple times to different people.

  • Feeling cared for

Patients want to feel appreciated when they visit your pharmacy. In order to be in good hands, he wants to make sure that they have everything they need to take their medication safely without any obstacles.

For instance, an arthritis patient should not receive hard-to-open medication packaging. Because elderly patients who are unable to open medicine containers do not receive help with their medication.

  • Help achieve their health goals

Health goals are usually set by patients themselves. Patient want pharmacists not just to hand them their prescriptions but help them to keep as healthy as possible by understanding their overall health. 

In addition to recommending healthy lifestyles, pharmacists can counsel patients on nutrition to control their disease.

3. The pharmacy offers more health services

  • Vaccine programs

Every pharmacy should be able to offer vaccine programs including flu shots, travel vaccines for overseas travelers, and year-round immunizations against diseases such as pneumonia and shingles.

Immunization program services ensure immunity and protect people against harmful diseases.

  • Point-of-care testing (POCT)

Point-of-care testing, also known as near-patient testing, means carrying out a test using a device or test kit in the presence of the patient and without need to send a sample to a laboratory.

This includes such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar.

  • Health education

The pharmacist, as the last health professional to come into contact with the patient, plays a vital role in patient education on drug use. They need more information about their medicines to manage their health.

With additional services offered by your independent pharmacy, you become their primary source for more than just refilling medication.

4. Catching up on patient care

Catching up on patient care is one of the most meaningful things you can do is always address and keep in touch with the patient.

For example, a situation where patients are not on the correct medication.

Perhaps they are not taking their medicine properly or they might be prescribed a medication that can interact with another medicine.

  • Use Technology

A pharmacy management system should set remind and alert for patients who may not be taking their medication or may need a new drug by sending a text message. 

  • Clinical programs

Consider a clinical program such as drug therapy management or face-to-face counselling with them.

By doing so, you will get a better understanding of a patient’s concerns or questions, allowing you to provide advice to them.

  • Prescriber partnerships

Partnering with prescribers ensures you to able communicate openly about the success of medication treatments and patient needs.

When pharmacy focus more on providing better patient care, such as point-of-care testing, counseling patients on their medications, or simply remembering their care needs.

They will rely on you as a resource for their entire health journey not just their prescriptions and your pharmacy can lead to success now and in the future with patient satisfaction. 

However, Mayflax is a pharmaceutical wholesaler that serving pharmaceutical product. With Mayflax, clients are always prioritized and cared for by providing them with the best services. Find out more about Mayflax by clicking here.

About the author

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Pharmacology, is a Customer Relationship Executive of Mayflax, one of the nation’s leading healthcare and marketing companies.

Share this post