Mannings, the largest health and beauty retail chain in Hong Kong, is committed to safeguarding people’s health as a community pharmacy. Recognising the heightened public awareness of health and hygiene in the post-pandemic era and the increasing focus on the health and wellbeing of their people in the business world, Mannings is pleased to introduce the PharmaCare Program and is eager to join hands with more businesses, safeguarding the health of the employees and the public together. Under this pioneering program, employees of participating companies can enjoy consultation service, free medication and receive the Pharmacists’ Note, in which the corporates could consider as a proof for sick leave application, at over 50 Mannings pharmacy stores in Hong Kong. This innovative program serves as a new flexible solution as healthcare solutions for business talents.

A Win-win Community Pharmacy Service Jointly Launched with Business Partners

An expert in health and beauty retailing for over five decades, Mannings boasts an extensive store network with a team of over 120 registered pharmacists and dietitians. It actively explores new channels to expand the coverage of its community services and to provide comprehensive healthcare support to safeguard people’s health and wellbeing. In the post-pandemic new normal, there has been an increasing demand for healthcare services, and the loss of talents also becomes a pressing issue for businesses. In 2022, nearly 80% of employers noted that talent retention was the top challenge, and over 30% of employees indicated that enhanced benefits and protection would be the key considerations when taking a job¹.

As a community pharmacy, Mannings introduces the first-of-its-kind PharmaCare Program to address these emerging social issues, and to support its business partners and their employees with convenient and efficient community healthcare services. The Program covers eight minor illnesses, including cold and flu, gastrointestinal conditions, women’s health, allergy, pain and aches, eye conditions, minor skin conditions and oral health. Employees participating in the Program can enjoy consultation service and free medication at over 50 Mannings stores staffed by registered pharmacists without the need of making an appointment. The registered pharmacist will issue a Pharmacists’ Note stating the symptoms of the patient in which the participating companies could consider as a proof of sick leave application.

The Program aims to shorten the waiting time for medical services at clinics, and provide employees with timely treatments and more recovery time, improving the productivity of the participating companies in the long run. Meanwhile, it also offers greater flexibility in the healthcare services and protection enjoyed by the staff. With this Program, Mannings also wants to raise the awareness on employees’ wellbeing, and join hands with the public to safeguard people’s health to deliver a win-win result.

Seizing New Opportunities to Consolidate Leadership in Healthcare Sector

In addition to offering flexible consultation hours and convenient locations throughout the city, the PharmaCare Program also allows participating companies to extend the benefits to the family members and domestic helpers . Reports on individual use of services will also be prepared and submitted to the companies as a human resources reference. In the first quarter of 2023, Mannings teamed up with Hong Kong Broadband (“HKBN”) to launch the pilot PharmaCare Program, which was well received by the users. The Program initially covered about 4,600 employees from the two companies, and soon expanded to over 25,000 employees and their family members in July, representing a fourfold growth. Besides, the pilot program was rated 4.6 out of 5 during the first six-month period. While some users found the service “convenient and efficient”, some thought that “the pharmacists were caring and provided professional advices” and were “happy with the company’s care for the health of its employees”. Over 40% of the users believed that the Program could be an effective alternative to visiting clinics when treating minor illnesses. The positive feedback reflected that the Program was highly recognised by both HKBN and its employees for offering the company greater flexibility in improving the employees’ healthcare protection while meeting the needs in the new normal.

Expanding the B2B Market and Sources of Revenue through Business Partnerships

The evolving consumer behaviours in the post-pandemic period have driven corporates and organisations to focus on the health and wellbeing of their employees, fuelling the potential growth of the Business-to-Business (B2B) market. The PharmaCare Program marks a new milestone for Mannings since it expanded into this rapidly growing sector. As corporate clients are expected to become the new driving force for new business growth, Mannings’ community pharmacy services customised for the business world allows it to leverage its professional expertise to explore new growth points and new sources of revenue.

Mr. Ian Law, General Manager of New Business of Mannings, noted, “The pandemic has changed the global economy and livelihoods of the public, and the business environment has also experienced dramatic changes. However, it has also opened up new opportunities for companies to focus on the health of their people. The launch of the PharmaCare Program not only represented the professional implementation of our community pharmacy services, but also created new opportunities for us to reinforce our leadership in the healthcare sector. In the ever-changing market, we will continue to innovate and deliver exceptional healthcare experience. We will stay committed to our corporate social responsibility in the public health area, and continue to build a strong personal healthcare network for the community and safeguard the health of Hong Kong people.”

The PharmaCare Program by Mannings is an excellent option for companies to keep abreast of the new modes of talent management, helping businesses attract and retain talents while optimising the health and wellbeing management at workplace to strengthen corporate image and competitiveness. As the business environment and market demands continue to evolve, Mannings will continue to seize new opportunities through its professional community pharmacy services and innovative solutions, like the PharmaCare Program, to provide customers, partners and the community with better and all-round services.

¹ 2022 Mercer Marsh Benefit’s Hong Kong Employee Health and Benefits Survey Report, Payroll Trend Seminar 2022