@Halal July/August 2021 | Page 19

July-August . 2021 | @ Halal

Halal pharmacy

19
HANI MAJDINA JAAFAR
Founder , Farmasi Haniz
ROHAYA LEMAN
Founder , Farmasi Alang and Lawang Rezeki
HANI BECAME aware of some limitations in the public service provided by a government hospital while working there . “ The hospital pharmacies could only offer medications and basic supplies with limited options . We were also unable to obtain health supplements and dressing materials such as cotton and gauzes ,” Hani explained .
“ In addition , there was only one retail pharmacy , which did not always have all of the necessary items . The people of Kuala Lipis required that their needs be met . This is a large district , and they needed more wellness and health product options .” Hani opened her first pharmacy , Farmasi Haniz , in Kuala Lipis , Pahang , in 2016 . She has since opened another branch in Rawang , Selangor .
Most of the residents in the area are Malays , who account for 60-70 per cent of her clientele .
Her approach to selling products is to educate her customers .
“ My staff and I always ask detailed questions about the purpose of the purchase and the patient ’ s condition . We then explain and educate them on the various treatment and medication options .
“ They have the final say , but they should be well informed . Being a business owner and manager of a pharmacy is not the same as being a pharmacist . It necessitates a unique set of skills such as leadership , management , accounting , and so on .
“ There is also a difference between working in a hospital and working in a retail pharmacy ,” Hani added .
As a result , she emphasised the importance of conducting research and gaining experience before entering the business .
Hani worked at a retail pharmacy owned by a friend before opening her own . She also contacted other pharmacies to learn more about managing and running a pharmacy .
rehabilitation items . People even shop at pharmacies for cosmetics and toiletries . “ Our regular customers account for approximately 20 per cent of our revenue , while walk-in customers account for the remaining 80 per cent . Our e-commerce platform also generates consistent revenue . For the time being , we have a shop on both Shopee and Lazada .”
Moving forward , he intends to launch his e-commerce platform , selling only their products that cater to the needs of the community .
When asked about rivalry , he stated : “ I ’ m positioning myself to be on par with , or the same level as , a large chain of namebrand pharmacies .
“ Our unique selling point to differentiate ourselves from competitors is that we are a halal-centric community pharmacy practice .”
Muhammad Arif completed his Master ’ s degree with a focus on halal pharmacy practice . He is now assisting in the creation of the first-ever halal-centric community pharmacy practice guideline . He hopes that this will be used in Malaysian community pharmacy practice .
While the Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating businesses across the country since March 2020 , his pharmacies have survived . In some ways , the pharmacy
“ The Duopharma Biotech entrepreneur workshop also taught me a lot .” Whether they like it or not , people are gravitating toward the online market .
“ As a result of one of the many points raised during the workshop , I began marketing and advertising on Facebook . Customers now contact me via Facebook Messenger .”
While the pandemic had no significant impact on Hani ’ s business , she did notice some changes in the business model to adapt to the new normal .
“ I ’ ve noticed a shift in the products chosen by customers . Customers used to be able to afford expensive supplements when they were introduced . They now either do not buy supplements or look for less costly alternatives .
“ As a result , we , too , have changed and shifted in response to the needs and affordability of our customers . If the item is expensive , we will suggest nonbranded and less expensive alternatives of comparable quality .”
We also introduced delivery services , telephone consultation , and online purchasing and payment because people did not want to go out during the pandemic . She did , however , point out a limitation : controlled drugs cannot be sold online .
She also contributes to charity by donating supplements , medications , and cash to charitable organisations .
industry is recession-proof .
“ The government has declared community pharmacy to be an essential service . As a result , we are fortunate to be less affected than other industries in general . There was a positive impact on Farmasi Al Arif and its revenues at the start of the pandemic .”
From a logistical standpoint , his operations during the pandemic were focused on inventory management , which he regarded as the essential aspect of retail pharmacy .
“ Essentially , the mission is to improve logistics and inventory management to reduce costs and maximise profits .”
“ At the moment , we are learning and doing our best to adapt the Japanese management style to our operations . And there is still a lot of room for improvement .”
He has always been frugal in his spending and careful with his money .
“ Keep an eye on your cash flow . It is critical because once you get stuck in your cash flow , it is difficult to get out .”
Muhammad Arif is a driven young man who intends to open three more branches this year .
“ We have applied for a franchise licence . So , if you want your pharmacy and are interested in Farmasi Al Arif , please come and join us . “
ROHAYA ESTABLISHED the first pharmacy in Melaka ’ s Masjid Tanah . She wanted to provide a health and wellness service to the residents because there were no pharmacies in the area . She also attempted to raise their awareness of such issues .
Farmasi Alang was established in 1996 , and she began selling medicinal items in 1997 . She later opened another pharmacy called Lawang Rezeki , which sells rehabilitation products .
While she was the first to open a pharmacy in Masjid Tanah , she now faces competition from nine other pharmacies .
“ Six are independent retail pharmacies , and three are chain pharmacies ,” she explained .
She has , however , managed to sustain herself over the years with her two distinct clientele groups . She works in both retail and wholesale , catering to walk-in customers and large governmental bodies .
Rohaya is also an ambassador appointed by Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri Melaka to give health , medicine , and disease awareness talks .
“ I am deeply committed to educating the public , particularly those in rural areas , about health , wellness , and medicines and treatments . “ I give talks at self-organised events or State government events ,” she explained , adding that she has served as the Know Your Medicine Ambassador for the past ten years .
In 2016 , Farmasi Alang organised a charity for “ Sumbangan Peralatan
RAMLAH YUSOF
Founder , Farmasi Al Falah and Farmasi Zufa .
RAMLAH VALUES freedom of time and financial independence in her life , which prompted her to start her own pharmacy .
She completed her housemanship and worked for three years at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan ( HTAA ) after graduating in 2001 . During her time there , she discovered that the on-call schedules and working hours were not suitable for her .
“ I desired both time freedom and financial independence . So I resigned and spent the first two years of my career working for a private retail pharmacy before opening my own .”
She obtained a Majlis Amanah Rakyat ( MARA ) loan and opened her own pharmacy after gaining some experience . Ramlah opened her first pharmacy , Impian Pharma Enterprise , in 2006 , before renaming it Farmasi Al Falah in 2014 . In March 2019 , she opened another location called Farmasi Zufa . Both pharmacies are in Pahang , close to her home and family .
She stated that the clientele at both pharmacies was different . While both catered to a predominantly Malay clientele , Farmasi Zufa , located in Bandar Indera Mahkota 5 , Kuantan , catered to a working and more educated clientele .
Meanwhile , Farmasi Al Falah is located near a Felda settlement on Jalan Sg Lembing in Kuantan . That serve working women as well as elderly or geriatric patients .
She has no plans to expand or branch out her business at the moment , instead focusing on improving and stabilising both pharmacies ’ management and
Kesihatan ,” donating rehabilitation items such as wheelchairs , canes , and commode chairs in collaboration with community leaders around Masjid Tanah .
Rohaya wants to expand her business , but she hasn ’ t decided whether a medicinal pharmacy or a rehab pharmacy would be more suitable and profitable .
According to her , the pandemic had only a minor impact on the company . Personal protective equipment ( PPE ), hand sanitisers , and face masks were still in high demand .
“ We stayed in business by supplying PPE and hand sanitisers to government agencies and universities .”
Aside from contactless and social distancing practises , the business model has also shifted to an online platform .
“ For marketing and sales , we used Facebook , and we used a delivery service . During the pandemic , I even gave educational talks on Facebook .”
She took care to identify and order only items that were in high demand .
monitoring systems .
Ramlah is revising her vision and business model in response to her participation in Duopharma Biotech ’ s entrepreneur workshop .
“ Prior to this , my business model was entirely offline . After attending the workshop , I hired social media staff this year .”
She mentioned that the hiring process was difficult because they needed someone who was skilled at managing social media as well as knowledgeable about wellness and health .
“ The first person I hired was unable to handle the workload , so I had to find a replacement . Our social media presence is still in its early stages .”
According to her , the workshop has also assisted her in differentiating her company in the market .
Ramlah is currently pursuing a degree in nutritional medicine . She took part in a programme called ‘ Pengurusan Emosi ’, “ to improve customer service in terms of medication dispensing .” At the same time , she is better able to provide emotional health advice .