Pharmacy Manager @ Lecturer? She's Madam Hadijah!!

A worth experienced by Madam Siti Hadijah Bt Shamsudin
Lecturer in IIUM cum pharmacist, experienced in hospital pharmacist, community pharmacist, pharmacy manager, and lecturer.

Background

          She has taken SPM in 1987 from Tun Fatimah School. After that, she has been offered to further her studies in degree of pharmacy at Liverpool Johnmoores University. She did A level in Malaysia and graduated in 1993. She did houseman in Penang Hospital in 1993 after graduated. In 1994, she has been offered to work at Guardian pharmacy which is retail pharmacy at Subang Jaya. However, for the next year, she has been given the opportunity to work as pharmacist cum manager at City Chemist Pharmacy which is retail pharmacy in Shah Alam. In 1995 until 1997, she worked at Georgetown pharmacy as pharmacist cum store manager. In 1998 until 2004, she worked as pharmacist manager at Kuantan Medical Centre (KMC). She did master in science management at UUM for 2 years and graduated in 2002. At the same time, she was a pharmacy manager at Kuantan Medical Centre. Then, in 2005, she furthers her studies in PhD for 4 years. Now she has just finished her PhD and is waiting for the result. After that, in 2005, she has been offered by UIA to become a lecturer. She also worked in IIUM pharmacist Sdn. Bhd. which in charge in regulatory affair and product registration.

Experiences and Challenges

          Along her career as a pharmacist, she has been going through a lot of experienced whether in hospital or community pharmacy. In Liverpool Johnmoores University, there were three specializations during final year of degree for so that, they will be specialized into hospital pharmacy, industrial pharmacy and community pharmacy. She was specialized in hospital pharmacy. During attachment for 6 months, she worked at 5 hospitals which are geriatric hospital, paediatric hospital, psychiatric hospital, woman hospital and oncology hospital. The practice in UK for clinical pharmacy was that, the pharmacist will do ward round together with doctor. Pharmacist will take care for patient’s medication meanwhile, doctor will do the diagnosis. Then, they will discuss for suitable treatment to be given to the patient.

          However, when she came back to Malaysia, she found that hospital pharmacy did not do their actual job. They were just doing inventory. They have to buy and order the medicine. In other words, at that time, hospital pharmacy in Malaysia just manages for medicine in inventory. So, she decided to work in retail pharmacy. Working in retail, she has to do ordering. However, working in retail was quite challenging because she must be answerable to the sale. Every day, she must make sure the sale increased or maintained. She have to be focused and know what sort of customers in her area or called as target customers. She also must know what medicine and supplement to be recommended because pharmacist has to be master about drug interaction and whether the customers have allergy to certain drug. All of that need to be considered. Pharmacist also must know their customer interest or capability. If the customer has low income, the recommended drug should be affordable for them. If the customer has high income, pharmacist can recommend for better drug.

          When she worked in KMC, she has been experienced working in stock inventory. Working in hospital pharmacy also has its own challenge. Doctor will be simply ordered the medicine because they will always want the best and the latest medicine in the market even though the medicine still in stock. At that time, pharmacist must play their role. Pharmacist can ask the doctor to write order in the form so that doctor will be answerable to the management. When stock volume was high, the management will ask for the reason. Working in inventory will make the pharmacist in between; management and specialist. Management asked pharmacist to reduce the cost but specialist always wanted good and expensive medicine. So, pharmacist has to be moderate and discuss with them. Because she was the only pharmacist in that hospital, working at hospital was like 24 hours because not only doctor, pharmacist also has on call. Especially in private hospital, they does not want hire trained dispenser. All her dispenser were not trained and must always bring hand phone even though in weekend or at night. They will call and asked for you regarding the job. However the pay was high.

Advices for pharmacy students

          Every subject must be well-understood because all the knowledge is very crucial towards final year and towards career as pharmacist. Students also have to know how to relate from one subject to another. Even the structure of the drugs also must be know well because to know the stability and all properties of the drugs in order to invent a good product.

Thanks a lot madam. You really helps us to understand more :D

Till then. Wassalam /bye