MANAGEMENT and Science University (MSU) alumnus Muhammad Sufi Zainon Abidin Shah is a fully registered community pharmacist with a “Type A” licence who owns his very own brand – Zas Healthcare.
The company is better known as Farmasi Falah, named after his son.
“What differentiates my pharmacy from others is that it is a clinical-based pharmacy rather one that than just sells products,” said Sufi, who launched the venture last year right after he completed Provisional Registered Pharmacy (PRP).
“We have health screening services, from blood pressure checking to Covid-19 testing. I even provide one-to-one counselling sessions with customers in order to give them the best treatment possible,” he said.
“After getting my license, which was a challenging and lengthy process, my biggest challenge came during my first month of operation.”
Sufi had to quickly attract customers and build good rapport.
It took time for the public to trust the pharmacy and to top it off, he had to do it during a pandemic. However, Sufi was a great example that anything is possible if you set your heart to it.
He managed to do it all during the unprecedented pandemic.
His dream of becoming a pharmacist began during his tertiary education at MSU.
“I chose MSU because I heard that the establishment helped students to excel in both their extra-curricula and academic fields, which I found were true.
“I’m really glad that I was a student at MSU. The lecturers and their teaching methods pushed us outside our comfort zone,” he said.
“During the Personal Enrichment Competency (PEC) classes, the holistic teaching method was one of the most unforgettable experiences I had at MSU. The environment that we were put in encouraged an entrepreneurial spirit among the students.”
Programmes such as the Jumpstart and Jumpshop by MSU Business and Enterprise Development (BED) Department create a platform for the students in their entrepreneurial ventures.
MSU believes that the right way to excel in business is to start early and exposes students to it as much as possible. That way, students at MSU grow to understand and like business.
“With continuous hard work combined with working smart, any future endeavor is possible. My dream is to have Farmasi Falah branches all over the country and to let my customers have a pharmacy that prioritises patients’ safety, trusted medication and efficacy,” he added.
As a young entrepreneur cum pharmacist, Sufi is a forward-looking MSUrian who is all about helping others through his career.
He is inspired by MSU’s culture of giving and is grateful for all that he has received from his university and is ready to give back to the community.
Sufi is one of the significant alumna who started their entrepreneurship after graduating. He is skilled and well-equipped in what he does because of his passion in pharmacy.
MSU prioritises student development to enhance graduate employability. With 98.7% of its graduates successfully securing employment within six months of their graduation, MSU was ranked Malaysia’s #1 university for graduate employability by the Ministry of Higher Education.
For further information about the Pharmacy programme offered at MSU, contact MSU’s Engagement and Enrolment Department at 03-5521 6868. Or visit www.msu.edu.my
