From homemade remedy to successful family business
Pat’s MSM Cream, the brand name for a locally developed anti-inflammatory cream, is a true family business.
Patrick O’reilly, with the help of a now-emigrated pharmacist at Crossways who he worked with while an assistant pharmacist, concocted the formula four years ago.
His wife, Patricia, designed the label for the MSM tub. And his mother was the guinea pig who tested the product, found it relieved her arthritis, and is now in charge of mixing, packing and shipping the product at their manufacturing facility, linked to their home in East London.
“My mother really battled with arthritis and sciatica, as well as restless leg syndrome, which my father also has.
“In fact her ailments, and the chronic pain she was in, forced me to do something, but only at that stage for my extended family.”
“Then my wife lost her job. I realised that I had a product that worked really well, and it could be a viable source of income.
“I have been a pharmacy assistant for over 20 years so have built up considerable knowledge. Plus the ointment is for external use and is not a prescription drug.”
O’reilly, an East Londoner, matriculated from Port Rex Technical High School and studied pharmacy.
The journey into sales started in 2020, after methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a naturally occurring chemical found in some green plants, animals, and humans, had been something of a miracle cure for his mother’s arthritis.
He mixed enough of his MSM formula for five tubs and, with the permission of the Crossways pharmacist, displayed them on the payment counter.
To his surprise, all the tubs sold in a day.
“So I made more. They also sold. People started buying repeats. It took off, driven by word of mouth.”
Pat’s MSM Cream is now available in Gauteng, Durban and George.
Visitors to East London, holidaying at Yellow Sands, would come to the Crossways pharmacist for something to relieve sunburn.
MSM helps to reduce the burn and the inflammation.
“The customers would buy a few of the 500ml tubs to take back home.
“Then people phoned to find out where they could find repeats. The next step was they wanted to become agents. And so the success spread.”
He said MSM is used for a variety of medical applications, and one of the uses was as an anti-inflammatory agent, which was perfect for his mother.
O’reilly said he was inspired by the success of another homegrown product, Ginger Love,
“Ginger Love also started as something that would help a family member.
“It worked, so they started bottling and selling the product.
“Now they are in most supermarkets and have a broader product range, with a national footprint.
“They are a great inspiration to my small but growing family business.”
Pat’s MSM Cream is the company’s only product to date and is available in 50ml and 500ml plastic tubs.
For more information on MSM agencies contact O’reilly on 083-722-3556.