In-depth Analysis of the COVID-19 impact on Malaysia Pharmacy Retail Industry: Ken Research

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Global Outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in dealing with the unforeseen challenges in all the industries especially the Logistics, Hospitality and Automotive sector. Industries faced complete losses during this period due to the restrictive measures taken at country level such as lockdown, or stay at home orders, to control the pandemic at a local level. Number of cases across the globe reached 16.7 Mn as of 29 July 2020 and the pandemic is still considered to be a threat on the lives & businesses across the globe.

Government of Malaysia has taken significant precautions to prevent the transmission of the disease. Bank Negara of Malaysia predicts GDP to be lying between -2.0% to 0.5% wherein the industrial output is expected to reduce by 40% to 70% during MCO (Movement Control Order). Disruptions in Supply Chain, including interruptions from Production to Operations, delay of imports and distribution to users has caused major challenges in Healthcare sector, majorly the medical devices segment. Online Consultation and Online Medication Deliveries on the other hand amidst the crisis observed a significant boost in terms of Number of Users during the Lockdown. Unorganized Pharmacies on the other hand were among the highly affected groups with more than 50% drop in customer footfall.

Ministry of Health Partnership with Telemedicine Companies: Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) initiated guidelines with certain SOPs for Virtual Consultation in the country. DoctorOnCall in February 2020 partnered with Malaysia’s health ministry and developed a customised virtual health advisory platform to address public health concerns about Covid-19 situation in Malaysia. Some Telemedicine companies partnered with Qualitas group of clinics to roll out Covid-19 home-testing and drive-through testing services for people who did not fulfill the testing criteria at public healthcare institutions. With augmenting demand for E-Consultations, IHH Healthcare on the other hand planned to expand Virtual consultation services across all the key markets including Malaysia, Singapore & India, focusing on providing services from consultation to doorstep drug delivery.

Crisis in Malaysia affected Pharmacy Retail Market in three phases, one of them being Effect on Demand for Pharmacies on Lockdown Announcement. Movement Control Order announcement as a result of COVID-19 engaged customers in panic buying of groceries, medications and personal care items. Pharmacies on the other hand adopted a ONE-WAY MOVEMENT SYSTEM in and out of the pharmacy stores and prevented full entry of visitors into the stores wherein medications were dispensed at the door counter that too in the presence of a pharmacist. Some pharmacies like ‘Multicare’ started product delivery with the announcement of MCO orders. Pharmacies recorded sheer increase of 30%-40% in customer footfall and average basket size of the customers with respect to the announcement.

malaysia-pharmacy-retail-market

Effect on Pharmacy Demand under MCO Order: MCO (Movement Control Order), a preventive measure by the federal government of Malaysia reduced the number of operating hours of Pharmacy retail stores in the country. More than 50% to 60% slash in terms of customer footfall was observed during the Lockdown. Mall Based Pharmacies in Malaysia have seen major drop as entries in the malls were restricted and customers on the other hand shifted towards High Street Pharmacies located nearby. Preference of product categories in demand shifted from Prescribed to Over-The-Counter and Non Pharmaceutical Products like Self Cleaning, Dettol, Hand Sanitizers, Normal Routine Medicines and Health Supplements like Vitamin C for Immunity Boosting.

The industry is predicting steady recovery from mid-September 2020 onwards with customer footfall reaching back to normalcy. In the future, pharmacy chains will foresee intense competition in terms of their stores and value added services in the country to retain customers. Pandemic has resulted in strong presence of online platforms & delivery option among Malaysians. Over-The-Counter Medicines and Non Pharmaceutical Products with growing demand is gaining significant market share in terms of Revenue in the country. Pharmacy Chains will focus on marketing strategies, establishing long term partnerships with Telemedicine companies and acquisitions to enhance geographical presence.

With more number of Pharmacy Retail Stores and product bundling strategy to enhance more purchases will drive Pharmacy Retail Revenue in future. Basis all these factors, the Malaysia Pharmacy Retail market is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 9.3% on the basis of revenue during the forecast period 2019-2025.

Key Segments Covered:-

By Market Structure (Number of Pharmacy Outlets & Revenue in USD Mn)

Organized

Organized Mall Based

Organized High Street Stores

Unorganized

Unorganized Mall Based

Unorganized High Street

By Location (Number of Pharmacy Outlets & Revenue in USD Mn

Mall Based

Prescribed Drugs

Over-The-Counter

Non Pharmaceutical Products

Medical Equipments

High Street

Prescribed Drugs

Over-The-Counter

Non Pharmaceutical Products

Medical Equipments

By Product Sales

Prescribed Drugs

Over-The-Counter

Non Pharmaceutical Products

Medical Equipments

By Sales

Patented Drugs

Generics

By Region

Selangor

Johor

Kuala Lumpur

Sarawak

Others

By Therapeutic Areas

Anti-Infective

Cardiovascular

Pain/Analgesics

Vitamins/Minerals/Nutrients

Antibiotic

Respiratory

Gastro Intestinal

Gynaecology

Neuro

Others

Companies Covered:-

Watsons Malaysia

Guardian Pharmacy

Caring Pharmacy

Alpro Pharmacy

Healthlane Pharmacy

Multicare Pharmacy

AM PM Pharmacy

Cosway Farmasi

Aeon Wellness

AA Pharmacy

Key Target Audience:-

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Companies

Pharmacy Retail Companies

Independent Pharmacies

Industry Associations

Regulatory Bodies

Telemedicine Companies

Pharmaceutical Distributors & Wholesalers

Time Period Captured in the Report:-

Historical Period – 2013-2019

Forecast Period – 2020-2025

Key Topics Covered in the Report:-

Overview of Malaysia Pharmacy Retail Market

Trends and Growth Drivers in the Industry and Challenges Faced

Malaysia Pharmacy Retail Market Size and Segmentations, 2013 – 2019

Ecosystem and Value Chain of Pharmacy Retail Market in Malaysia

Distributors & Wholesalers Landscape in Malaysia Pharmacy Retail Market

Industry SWOT Analysis and BCG Matrix

Telemedicine & Online Consultations Snapshot

Contraceptive Demand among Customers in Malaysia

Cross Comparison between Major Players and Company Profiles

Future Market Size and Segmentations, 2020P-2025F

Covid-19 Impact on the Industry & the Way Forward

Analysts’ Recommendations

For More Information on the research report, refer to below link:-

Malaysia Pharmacy Retail Market

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Kuwait Retail Pharmacy Market Outlook to 2022 – By Type of Pharmacy (Pharmacy Chains, Independent Pharmacies and Hospital/Clinic Based Pharmacies); By Type of Drugs (Cosmetics, Food Supplements and Drugs), By Type of Sales Channels (Offline and Online)

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Contact Us:-
Ken Research
Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications
Ankur@kenresearch.com
+91-9015378249

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