Group photo with representatives, guests and attendees at the Me. NO PAUSE Official Launching Ceremony.
While menopause is becoming more widely discussed, the years leading up to it often receive far less attention. During perimenopause, women may experience changes in their menstrual cycle, energy levels, concentration, sleep, mood and overall well-being. These changes may begin several years before menopause and can gradually affect a woman's daily life, work and family responsibilities.
Recognising the need for earlier awareness and support, Alpro Pharmacy has launched Me. NO PAUSE, a women's health initiative designed to help women better understand, prepare for and live well through the transition to menopause.
As part of the initiative, Alpro is offering eligible women a subsidised ferritin check for only RM1, compared with the normal price of RM35. Alpro is subsidising RM34 of the screening cost to make iron-store assessment more affordable and accessible within the community.
Women aged 35 and above, particularly those experiencing persistent tiredness, brain fog, hair loss, or brittle nails, are encouraged to undergo a ferritin check and speak with a healthcare professional about their results.
The fatigue women are expected to live with
Women in their late thirties, forties, and early fifties often carry multiple responsibilities at home, at work, and within their communities. Persistent exhaustion or difficulty concentrating may therefore be dismissed as stress, lack of sleep, ageing or simply part of having a busy life.
However, these symptoms deserve attention rather than automatic acceptance.
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in the body. A ferritin check helps assess a person's iron stores and may identify low iron levels before the condition progresses to iron-deficiency anaemia.
Symptoms such as tiredness and brain fog are non-specific and may have many possible causes. Nevertheless, checking ferritin levels provides women with an opportunity to explore a frequently overlooked possibility and receive appropriate professional guidance.
Malaysia's Ministry of Health has reported that approximately one in three Malaysian women of reproductive age, between 15 and 49 years old, experiences anaemia. Despite the scale of the issue, ferritin testing is not commonly discussed as part of routine health screening among women.
Through Me. NO PAUSE, Alpro aims to change that conversation.
"Women are often expected to keep functioning even when they feel persistently exhausted, mentally foggy or simply unlike themselves. These experiences are easily dismissed as stress, age or the result of having too many responsibilities," said Ph. Ng Yi Ling, Professional Care & Development and Project Lead of Me. No Pause from Alpro Pharmacy.
"We want to move the conversation earlier, before women reach menopause and before exhaustion becomes something they believe they simply have to tolerate. The RM1 price is not merely a promotion; it represents Alpro's commitment to removing cost as the first barrier to screening."
"A ferritin check can help a woman understand whether low iron stores may be part of the picture, speak to a pharmacist and take the next appropriate step. Her tiredness deserves to be heard, her concerns deserve to be taken seriously, and her health should never come last."
Emerging research has also drawn attention to the possible relationship between iron status and cognitive performance during the menopausal transition.
A study published in the scientific journal Nutrients in 2025 examined non-anaemic women going through the menopausal transition. The researchers observed that better iron status was associated with stronger cognitive performance, including greater accuracy, better discrimination and faster response times.
The researchers emphasised that the findings were preliminary and that larger, longer-term studies are required. Nevertheless, the research highlights the importance of better understanding iron status in women who may experience brain fog during perimenopause, even when they have not been diagnosed with anaemia.
Supporting this mission, Powerlife, a leading health supplement provider in Malaysia, has stepped forward as the main partner of Me. No Pause to improve access to ferritin screening for women nationwide, with 300 Ferritin analysers from Global Science using handheld fluorescence technology to provide results within minutes, available at all Alpro Pharmacy.
The launch of Me. NO PAUSE was also attended by representatives from the Malaysian Pharmacists Society Special Interest Group on Women and Child Health and from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), bringing together community pharmacy practice and academic research to support women's health.
"Community pharmacists play an important role in making women's health screening more accessible, approachable and connected to timely action," said Ms Harpreet Kaur, representing the Malaysian Pharmacists Society Special Interest Group on Women and Child Health.
"Through this initiative, we hope to empower pharmacists to identify women who may be at risk of iron deficiency, provide timely counselling and connect them to appropriate care when further medical assessment is required."
Representing the Faculty of Pharmacy, UiTM, Associate Professor Dr Mahmathi Karuppannan said:
"Research helps us better understand the burden, level of awareness and health impact of iron deficiency among women in Malaysia. Through this collaboration, UiTM hopes to generate meaningful local insights that can guide public education, early risk detection and the development of future women's health interventions."
By connecting accessible screening with pharmacist counselling and appropriate referral pathways, Alpro aims to translate awareness into meaningful, responsible health action.
Women aged 35 and above who experience persistent tiredness, brain fog, hair loss or brittle nails are encouraged to visit their nearest Alpro Pharmacy to learn more about ferritin checks and speak with an Alpro pharmacist.
Through Me. NO PAUSE, Alpro hopes to help more women feel heard, informed and supported before, during and beyond the transition to menopause.
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About Alpro Group
Founded in 2002, Alpro Group's ecosystem has grown to include Alpro Pharmacy, Apotek Alpro, Alpro スギ (Sugi) Pharmacy, Alpro Physio, Alpro Clinic, Alpro Baby, Alpro OptiSaver, Alpro Audiology, Alpro Health, and Alpro Foundation. Supported by a team of more than 1,000 healthcare professionals, including doctors, pharmacists, nutritionists, dietitians, physiotherapists, optometrist and many others, Alpro serves over 5 million families in Malaysia and Indonesia through its extensive network of 500 physical outlets.
Alpro Pharmacy is the first and only community pharmacy in the region to offer product liability insurance of MYR 1 million in Malaysia and IDR 3 billion in Indonesia, ensuring the supply of genuine medications and enhancing consumer trust.
With the vision of a healthy and vibrant world, Alpro Group aims to become the No. 1 prescription pharmacy chain in Southeast Asia.
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