The road taken: Being a Pharmacist

I am a pharmacist-to-be.

A new phase of life is going to start soon. Very SOON.

Receiving the offer letter as a U41 Pharmacist gives me a mixed feelings of excitement and uncertainty.

I’m just can’t imagine how a pharmacist’s life can be…?

Hectic? Erratic? Or perhaps… FANTASTIC???

A lot of challenges awaiting… …

I am pretty sure that I am going to like this job, or should I say LOVE it…?

At least, theoretically, I shall LOVE this job……I supposed!

However, deep in my heart, I know that it is more than just a job.

#PHARMACEUTICAL CARE# is always the priority (just as lecturers always highlighted on)

Without pharmaceutical care, a prescription is just a piece of nothing;

Without pharmaceutical care, medicines are just simply liquids or pills;

Without pharmaceutical care, lab values are just NUMBERS;

Without pharmaceutical care, a patient is always a patient (We are expecting a healthy one, of cause!)

Doctors might give the best treatment and prescribe the best medicine to a patient.

BUT with the wrong dose OR wrong dosage form OR wrong way OR wrong time of administration,

It is NO WAY to be fine in improving one’s health.

Here, pharmacists come in role J

#THROWBACK# Final Year of undergrad# USM# Clerkship#

This is the time I actually know exactly what is going on to be a pharmacist.

Being a DRUG DEALER is never an easy job, especially when working in a hospital.

It is much more complex and complicated in terms of the pharmacist’s job scope: Outpatient Pharmacy, Satellite Pharmacy, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM), Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), Drug Information System (DIS), Cytotoxic Drug Reconstitution (CDR), Management Pharmacy and Inventory and Ward Pharmacy as well as Clinical Pharmacy.

I actually attached to Hospital USM and Penang GH during my final year clerkship.

Observation, rather than hands-on-experience.

Hardly explain everything in words, as the diversity of the role of a pharmacist is AMAZINGLY far beyond my knowing.

It is NEVER just DISPENSING or SELLING medicines behind the counter---like a businessman, just like what people always see in the outpatient counter in a clinic/hospital or a community pharmacy.

I actually enjoyed the time during the final semester, rotating different ward.

Different from the other PHARMACY-BASED department, ward pharmacy is more challenging as pharmacist is not only dealing with drugs BUT MORE---close contact with patients, frequent updates of patients’ condition  as well as communication with doctors and nurses.

Having the WHITE COAT on in the ward is really HOTTT and STUFFFFY, but the feeling of responsibility and commitment as a pharmacist (Well… I am still not a real one, by now) is dominating.

During clerkship, we learn our clinical knowledge by case study-ing.

We clerk a patient, gather all his/her health-related information, identify DRUG-RELATED PROBLEM (or some says PHARMACEUTICAL CARE ISSUES) and lastly focus on monitoring and patient counseling.

We do detect some pharmaceutical care issues especially on the choice of medicine.

Obviously, it is definitely not our role as a PHARMACY STUDENT to question doctors’ decision on drug of choice.

However, as a learning process, a lot of question marks do POP OUT (Often a question mark without question…).

What I am trying to say is that the knowledge on clinical and drug information is really IMPORTANT.

A simple choice of drug has too much things to be considered, for instance, patient’s renal or liver profile, patient’s age, other concurrent illness or concurrent medicines… … the list goes on… …

In other words, a pharmacist should have all those drug information in his/her fingertips.

I hope I can be the one.

Besides having a better understanding about the role of ward pharmacist, on the other hand, I do, sometimes, feel curious that how hectic that doctors’ life could be, until they have no time to, at least, smile? (No Offense)

In pharmaceutical care, sometimes, doctors and pharmacists do think in different way.

Neither RIGHT, nor WRONG in clinical.

There is always a GRAY ZONE.

Just different perception, varying point of view.

Both are getting information from different source of references, perhaps.

Here comes DISCUSSION and COLLABORATION.

It is a life-long learning process, after all.

I feel quite sad; when I was told that pharmacist always work alone (maybe one or two) in ward. Unlike doctors, they work in team (Consultant, Specialist, Medical Officer and a bundle of houseman); as well as nurses, there are pretty much nurses work together in a ward.

 I am pretty sure that most people often neglect the existence of pharmacist in the ward.

 In ward, pharmacist’s role seems insignificant BUT definitely VITAL.

To be precise, all healthcare professional should be work together! It is like doctors, pharmacists and nurses work hand-joined for a better healthcare outcome.

Dealing with patients is another challenge.

BIG CHALLENGE, I could say.

COMPLIANCE is always an issue.

Patient compliance is critical despite the best treatment and the best medicine given.

Hence, another essential role of a pharmacist is to provide patient counselling: giving important advises on healthcare education, teaching the important steps on using special devices (Inhaler, insulin pen, eye drop), as well as some crucial highlights on medicine administration.

I hope I can cope with it well :)

#As the saying goes… …#

Dr. Bala: THINK like a PHARMACIST, ACT like a PHARMACIST.

Prof Syed: The first thing when u look at patient’s case, calculate the CREATININE CLEARANCE.

Dr. Fatah: Calculator is a MUST.

Dr. Chong: Everything you said must come with EVIDENCE!

#Last piece of words#

I sincerely hope that I can be a great pharmacist, soon.

A brilliant one. A smart one. A caring one. An enthusiastic one.

I am joining the crew very soon. The DRUG EXPERT J

P/s: As mentioned above, I am still not YET a REAL pharmacist. Correct me if I am wrong about anything about this career. Hope to have a better understanding when I am really enrolled into it :) 

Best of luck to me!