Investing in Women (IW) is pleased to announce our new partnership with SwipeRx to develop a technology-equipped community pharmacy model aimed at fostering gender-responsive aged care in Vietnam.
Vietnam is one of the most rapidly ageing countries in the world (1). The government recognises aged care as an emerging priority and demand for diversified aged care is increasing. However, care for older persons is mainly carried out by family members, particularly women, which may limit women’s economic participation. At the same time, older adults living in some rural areas face increasing care needs while receiving limited support, as younger adults have migrated to urban areas.
To address these challenges, IW and SwipeRx are collaborating to enhance the capacity and networks of community pharmacies to deliver essential community-based or at-home aged care services. With over 60,000 privately-run pharmacies across Vietnam (2), pharmacies are usually the first point of healthcare contact (3) and are uniquely positioned to support older adults in their communities.
As a health-tech social enterprise, SwipeRx will leverage its existing digital platform to launch a specialised aged care training curriculum for over 16,000 community pharmacists. The accredited training will equip pharmacists to offer basic health counseling, chronic disease screening, and other aged care support. This initiative aims to enhance service quality and support the growth of community pharmacies, especially those led by women.
The initiative will also foster collaboration among pharmacy operators, tele-doctors, clients, families and caregivers to build a wider support network as part of the model. In addition, SwipeRx will also conduct a market scan to identify enablers and barriers to access to health-tech solutions that alleviate families’ unpaid caring responsibilities, most of which is carried out by women, and enhance the quality of at-home aged care.
An initiative of the Australian Government, Investing in Women works with credible local partners to innovate private sector-led interventions that provide or foster gender-responsive at-home aged care solutions, contributing towards a comprehensive aged care ecosystem in Vietnam.
(1): United Nations Population Fund. https://vietnam.unfpa.org/en/topics/ageing-6
(2): Vietnam Investment Review, 2025. https://vir.com.vn/pharmacy-chain-players-change-tack-125266.html
(3): Beardsley et al., 2022. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666606522002838