Since the first Generika Drugstore opened in May 2004, Generika has emerged as the most consistently service-oriented and customer-friendly chain, not just among drugstores that sell generic medications; but among all drugstores in the country. In both ways that customers see and don’t see, Generika is always trying to make life better for its customers. Generika’s knack for coming up with ways to better serve customers is born of a true passion for service and attentiveness to the needs of every Filipino. With its latest innovative feature MedPadala, Generika proves that this attentiveness extends even to Filipinos abroad.
Geography and circumstance shape our culture
Whether it’s because the Philippines is an archipelago of 7,100 islands, a former US colony, a poor nation, extremely centralized or a combination of these factors; part of the Philippine condition involves having to live away from loved ones. We all have a relative or even several relatives abroad. We all also have relatives who live in the provinces, and yet it is also very Filipino to maintain close emotional and even financial ties with family that typically includes extended family. It is this combination of being geographically separated yet needing to stay connected that makes us the social media capital of the world. It is with this set of uniquely Filipino circumstances in mind that MedPadala was developed.
A well thought out service
Through MedPadala, OFWs and bread winners in the urban areas can now allot a portion of the money they send home specifically for medicine, without having to worry that it will be used for other things. MedPadala is a unique electronic gift check that can be used only at Generika Drugstores. The gift certificate is purchased online or at Generika outlets, a PIN and password are sent to the customer via SMS and email. The customer can then send these codes to their loved ones who can then use them to buy meds or medical supplies at any Generika outlet.
A response to human tendencies
It is very human to prioritize immediate needs, and for most, medicine is not a “top of mind” concern until something actually happens that requires it. That’s why it is not uncommon to hear of OFWs who send large amounts of hard earned money home, only to have family contact them soon after with a health crisis that requires more money. What’s more, Filipinos have not quite grown accustomed to Generika prices, and are still very much of the mindset that medicine is very expensive. This is true even of maintenance medications, and most alarmingly, of antibiotics. It is typical of Filipinos to buy enough antibiotics or maintenance meds to start feeling better, then to discontinue taking them as soon as there is relief; despite doctor’s orders. This is a very unhealthy and even outright dangerous practice.
MedPadala gift certificates were conceived with all of these factors in mind. Unlike most conventional gift certificates, MedPadala e-GCs have no expiration date. What’s more, they don’t need to be used in a single transaction, and can be consumed as needed over several visits. The PIN and password can be passed around to multiple users and for as long as balance remains on the PIN, they can continue to use it to make purchases. As long as the buyer of MedPadala EGC has registered online, he can track the usage of his beneficiary of the EGC. He can see when the GC was used, how much was used, how much remains and at which outlet.
Because of these features and the fact that they can only be used for medicine and medical supplies, they act a lot like a very affordable insurance policy. When you send a MedPadala e-GC, you have a great deal of assurance that it will be spent as it should be, when it is most needed. Because it can only be spent on meds, people are more likely to buy meds as prescribed by doctors rather than as they feel is needed.
Generika has over the years consistently provided service above and beyond that of simply selling affordable medicines. Generika drugstores regularly offer extremely affordable medical tests that cost a fraction of what they would cost even at government hospitals. With those tests they also offer free on site consultation. MedPadala is further proof that Generika listens attentively and responds wholeheartedly to the needs of Filipinos everywhere.