Evaluating the Clinical and Humanistic Impact of a Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service (MAS)

Chi Lam Cheung; Hei Hang Edmund Yiu; Vanessa Wai Sei Ng; Frank Nim Kok Chan; Janet Hiu Tung Sun; Natalie Hoi Ching Hung; Ryan Hei Ming Mak; Marco Tsun Lee; Tommy Ka Ho Lee; Gladys Daphne Cheung; Kitty Kit Ki Law; Franco Wing Tak Cheng; Anchor Tak Fung Hung; Timothy F Chen; Esther Wai Yin Chan; Ian Chi Kei Wong; Eric Yuk Fai Wan

doi:10.1038/s43856-026-01679-3

Evaluating the Clinical and Humanistic Impact of a Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service (MAS)

Chi Lam Cheung
, Hei Hang Edmund Yiu
, Vanessa Wai Sei Ng
, Frank Nim Kok Chan
, Janet Hiu Tung Sun
, Natalie Hoi Ching Hung
, Ryan Hei Ming Mak
, Marco Tsun Lee
, Tommy Ka Ho Lee
, Gladys Daphne Cheung
, Kitty Kit Ki Law
, Franco Wing Tak Cheng
, Anchor Tak Fung Hung
, Timothy F Chen
, Esther Wai Yin Chan
, Ian Chi Kei Wong
, Eric Yuk Fai Wan

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The University of Sydney School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Minor ailments contribute significantly to the burden on healthcare systems. The introduction of a Minor Ailment Service (MAS) may alleviate pressure from hospital Accident & Emergency departments by directing patients suffering from minor ailments to be managed within the community. Although MAS has demonstrated positive results internationally, its effectiveness and acceptability in Hong Kong have not been evaluated. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the clinical and humanistic impacts of a MAS delivered by pharmacists at community pharmacies operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hong Kong.

METHODS: Subjects were recruited using convenience sampling at eight NGO-operated community pharmacies. Patient-reported outcomes, including symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement, were collected using a follow-up questionnaire one week after MAS. Additionally, consultation records were matched and extracted from the Community Pharmacy Services System. Descriptive data analyses were conducted to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes after using MAS. Factors influencing the primary outcomes were assessed using mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models.

RESULTS: This study demonstrates that most subjects (95.1%) report improvement in their symptoms. The mean scores for the Pharmacy Services Questionnaire and Patient Enablement Instrument are 4.0 ± 0.8 out of 5 and 6.8 ± 3.2 out of 12, respectively. Minor ailments relating to the respiratory system are most frequently reported. Significant negative associations in symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement are mainly observed in patients suffering from central nervous system-related symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving MAS provided by community pharmacists in community pharmacies report high levels of symptom resolution, satisfaction and enablement.

Original language	English
Article number	468
Number of pages	22
Journal	Communications Medicine
Volume	6
Issue number	1
Early online date	1 Jun 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01679-3
Publication status	Published - 31 Aug 2026

Bibliographical note

Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Data Access Statement

Data in this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

Funding

I.C.K.W. received research grants from Amgen, Janssen, GSK, Novartis, Pfizer, Bayer and Bristol-Myers Squibb and Takeda, Institute for Health Research in England, European Commission, National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia, The European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, Research Grants Council Hong Kong and Health and Medical Research Fund Hong Kong; consulting fees from IQVIA and World Health Organization; payment for expert testimony for Appeal Court in Hong Kong; serves on advisory committees for Member of Pharmacy and Poisons Board; is a member of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunization; is a member of the Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines of the Hong Kong Government; is the non-executive director of Jacobson Pharma Corp. Ltd. in Hong Kong; and is the founder and director of Therakind Limited (UK), Advance Data Analytics for Medical Science (ADAMS) Limited (HK) and OCUS Innovation Limited (HK, Ireland and UK).

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10.1038/s43856-026-01679-3Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Evaluating the Clinical and Humanistic Impact of a Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service (MAS)
Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Accepted author manuscript, 1.35 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Cite this

Cheung, C. L., Yiu, H. H. E., Ng, V. W. S., Chan, F. N. K., Sun, J. H. T., Hung, N. H. C., Mak, R. H. M., Lee, M. T., Lee, T. K. H., Cheung, G. D., Law, K. K. K., Cheng, F. W. T., Hung, A. T. F., Chen, T. F., Chan, E. W. Y., Wong, I. C. K., & Wan, E. Y. F. (2026). Evaluating the Clinical and Humanistic Impact of a Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service (MAS). Communications Medicine, 6(1), Article 468. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-026-01679-3

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abstract = "BACKGROUND: Minor ailments contribute significantly to the burden on healthcare systems. The introduction of a Minor Ailment Service (MAS) may alleviate pressure from hospital Accident \& Emergency departments by directing patients suffering from minor ailments to be managed within the community. Although MAS has demonstrated positive results internationally, its effectiveness and acceptability in Hong Kong have not been evaluated. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the clinical and humanistic impacts of a MAS delivered by pharmacists at community pharmacies operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hong Kong.METHODS: Subjects were recruited using convenience sampling at eight NGO-operated community pharmacies. Patient-reported outcomes, including symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement, were collected using a follow-up questionnaire one week after MAS. Additionally, consultation records were matched and extracted from the Community Pharmacy Services System. Descriptive data analyses were conducted to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes after using MAS. Factors influencing the primary outcomes were assessed using mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models.RESULTS: This study demonstrates that most subjects (95.1\%) report improvement in their symptoms. The mean scores for the Pharmacy Services Questionnaire and Patient Enablement Instrument are 4.0 ± 0.8 out of 5 and 6.8 ± 3.2 out of 12, respectively. Minor ailments relating to the respiratory system are most frequently reported. Significant negative associations in symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement are mainly observed in patients suffering from central nervous system-related symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving MAS provided by community pharmacists in community pharmacies report high levels of symptom resolution, satisfaction and enablement.",

author = "Cheung, \{Chi Lam\} and Yiu, \{Hei Hang Edmund\} and Ng, \{Vanessa Wai Sei\} and Chan, \{Frank Nim Kok\} and Sun, \{Janet Hiu Tung\} and Hung, \{Natalie Hoi Ching\} and Mak, \{Ryan Hei Ming\} and Lee, \{Marco Tsun\} and Lee, \{Tommy Ka Ho\} and Cheung, \{Gladys Daphne\} and Law, \{Kitty Kit Ki\} and Cheng, \{Franco Wing Tak\} and Hung, \{Anchor Tak Fung\} and Chen, \{Timothy F\} and Chan, \{Esther Wai Yin\} and Wong, \{Ian Chi Kei\} and Wan, \{Eric Yuk Fai\}",

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AU - Chan, Frank Nim Kok

AU - Sun, Janet Hiu Tung

AU - Hung, Natalie Hoi Ching

AU - Mak, Ryan Hei Ming

AU - Lee, Marco Tsun

AU - Lee, Tommy Ka Ho

AU - Cheung, Gladys Daphne

AU - Law, Kitty Kit Ki

AU - Cheng, Franco Wing Tak

AU - Hung, Anchor Tak Fung

AU - Chen, Timothy F

AU - Chan, Esther Wai Yin

AU - Wong, Ian Chi Kei

AU - Wan, Eric Yuk Fai

N1 - Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

PY - 2026/8/31

Y1 - 2026/8/31

N2 - BACKGROUND: Minor ailments contribute significantly to the burden on healthcare systems. The introduction of a Minor Ailment Service (MAS) may alleviate pressure from hospital Accident & Emergency departments by directing patients suffering from minor ailments to be managed within the community. Although MAS has demonstrated positive results internationally, its effectiveness and acceptability in Hong Kong have not been evaluated. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the clinical and humanistic impacts of a MAS delivered by pharmacists at community pharmacies operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hong Kong.METHODS: Subjects were recruited using convenience sampling at eight NGO-operated community pharmacies. Patient-reported outcomes, including symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement, were collected using a follow-up questionnaire one week after MAS. Additionally, consultation records were matched and extracted from the Community Pharmacy Services System. Descriptive data analyses were conducted to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes after using MAS. Factors influencing the primary outcomes were assessed using mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models.RESULTS: This study demonstrates that most subjects (95.1%) report improvement in their symptoms. The mean scores for the Pharmacy Services Questionnaire and Patient Enablement Instrument are 4.0 ± 0.8 out of 5 and 6.8 ± 3.2 out of 12, respectively. Minor ailments relating to the respiratory system are most frequently reported. Significant negative associations in symptom resolution, satisfaction, and enablement are mainly observed in patients suffering from central nervous system-related symptoms.CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving MAS provided by community pharmacists in community pharmacies report high levels of symptom resolution, satisfaction and enablement.

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ER -

Evaluating the Clinical and Humanistic Impact of a Self-Care and Minor Ailment Service (MAS)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Access Statement

Funding

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