Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Pharmacists, We want YOU!

Imagine a desolate field surrounded by lonely roads, imagine that you are walking alone in the forests, with only the wind giving you the whispers of muse.

Say you are standing on the top of the highest mountain but no-one is there to see you, say that you dived into the deepest depths of the earth but no one knows you are there.

It is lonely...
That is what the Malaysian Pharmacist blogger is feeling rite now.

So send in your contributions to malaysianpharmacist@gmail.com !!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

A Moment in History...

As a pharmacist and erstwhile citizen of the nation... These are indeed heady times to be a Malaysian Pharmacist - with many changes in the politcal situation (like our recent politcal tsunami) as well as the potential fundamental change in the healthcare mindset of its people - an impending dispensing seperation.

But what is Dispensing Seperation? What is so important by the fact that we get our drugs from one guy after being counselled by another? Wouldn't it be inconvenient? Would it be more hassle and involve more time? The answer is...

All the difference in the world!

For the consumer, the patient, the public - it represents a balance system of checks and balances (much in the similar vein as a strong opposition in parliament). It represents an inclusive system of which the doctor and the pharmacist work as a team in their respective fields of expertise - diagnosis (doctor) and treatment (pharmacist). This will lead to better control of rational drug usage as well as cost savings for the patient - in terms of better cost benefits of generics (the patient is no longer limited to whatever the doctor has on supply) and in terms of better therapeutic outcomes (i.e. correct drug for the correct use at the correct dose at the correct time = correct treatment = happy patient). In addition, the patient can be comforted by the fact that the doctor-pharmacist team leaves less room for error! In exchange for that, a little inconvenience is a small price to pay.

To the Pharmacists (i.e. us), Dispensing Seperation means that we get back what is rightfully ours - Not just the right but the responsibility of dispensing. To that effect, we must work ourselves to be fully prepared to assume this responsibility - be it in professional practice or working together towards this goal. To that effect, we have to fully participate in this process of seperation - assuring the public of our ability to do the job, putting a system in place to provide the best level of care to our patients, working with doctors to achieve a working relationship for dispensing seperation to work and lastly (and most importantly) come together with other pharmacists (i.e. in MPS) to get dispensing seperation a done deal!

In addition, the public and the doctors all fear the unknown and uncertainty. To that effect, we have been getting some bad press in our main stream media. We have to step up to the plate and counter this - on the same media or on this internet media. Thus, we must be prepared to come out with opinions as well as clear cut ideas on how dispensing seperation needs to be implemented and put it to the public, educating them and proving to them that we have the ability to do this.

In many countries, pharmacists are amongst the most trusted professionals (in Australia we are number 1!). It is time for us to assume this mantle in Malaysia. We need to go forward so that we can hold our heads high - proudly saying that we are indeed Malaysian Pharmacists!

The Author is not exactly mad and is not really a cow. He is an Australian trained pharmacist practising in Malaysia and is trying to get people to join him in working on creating a positive online environment for pharmacist. On another note - the picture above was taken in Western Hospital Pharmacy showing a pharmacist counselling another pharmacist - who incidentally was a past president of the MPS