Alpro Launches Subsidised RM1 Ferritin Checks to Help Women Understand, Prepare and Live Well Through the Transition to Menopause

Before Menopause, Many Women Are Already Struggling in Silence

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 July 2026 - Perimenopause is a natural stage in a woman's life, yet many women enter this

transition without fully understanding what is happening to their bodies or knowing where to

seek support.

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.

Hashtag: #Alpro

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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.