Do Pharmacists Make Good Marketers?
This article is authored by Lawrence Hoo, a pharmacist who is in a marketing position for a multinational pharma company. To begin my article, I would like to refer to a Singaporean comedy about a pork jerky business. In the movie, the director who was also the marketing manager of the company wanted to run a sales campaign for Chinese New Year. To do so, he hired an advertising agency to come out with a marketing campaign for the product. In the meeting room scene, the advertising agency creative director, portrayed by a gwailo(Chinese slang for caucasian), recommended a rebranding...
Read MoreA Public Health Forum on Gout and Hyperuricemia
This article was authored by Mark Cheong, a Ministry of Health pharmacist working in Kuala Lumpur General Hospital On the 14th of November 2010, the Young Pharmacist Chapter (YPC) of the MPS was invited by Trustz Pharmacy to participate in a health forum hosted by the Guangdong Association of Kuala Lumpur entitled “Gout & Hyperuricemia”. The speaker for the event was Ms. Choong, a pharmacist with Trustz Pharmacy. The talk was conducted in Mandarin to an audience of around 50-60 people, most of which were middle-aged and elderly. The 3 pharmacists from attended the event as...
Read MoreEast meets West in Holistic Healthcare for All
This article was authored by Ng Angeline, a Ministry of Health pharmacist working with the Traditional & Complementary Medicine Division. The International Medical University held its inaugral Chinese Medicine Seminar and Workshops held on campus grounds from the 4th-5th of December 2010. When I received an invitational email from the IMU Secretariat, I expressed an immediate interest in attending this particularly well advertised event mainly because 1) the Minister of Health YB Dato’ Sri LiowTiong Lai would grace the opening ceremony for the seminar and workshops as well as officiate...
Read MoreThe Role of an Academic Pharmacist
The following article was written by Mai Chun Wai, a Masters student and pharmacy tutor at the International Medical University (IMU) In Malaysia, upon graduation pharmacists will undergo a minimum of one-year training as provisionally registered pharmacists (PRP) in one of the tertiary government hospitals after which they will be able to apply the knowledge and the skills learned throughout their studies in university. What is often challenging is how to translate the knowledge contained in textbooks into clinical practice and how to effectively practise evidence-based medicine. At the end...
Read MoreDissecting a Pharmacist’s Role in Traditional and Complementary Medicine
This article was authored by Ng Angeline, a Ministry of Health pharmacist working with the Traditional & Complementary Medicine Division. Many are rendered clueless when I introduce myself as a pharmacist in the Traditional and Complementary Medicine division (TCMD). “Is there such a division in MOH?” or “Do you do acupuncture or massage?” are common remarks received from my friends. Well, I can’t blame them because I, just like KK Lim, never knew such an institution existed until I received my new posting as a FRP. Like my friends, I was enveloped in a cloud of uncertainty to...
Read MoreA Pharmacist’s Experience in Clinical Research Centre
This article was authored by KK Lim, a Ministry of Health pharmacist working with the Clinical Research Centre Most people are unaware that there is such an institution called the Clinical Research Centre (CRC)under Ministry of Health. Neither did I until I received my posting letter for my FRP-ship and Googled it to learn more. CRC is one of the seven research institutions under the National Institute of Health (NIH). Similar to US National Institute of Health, our own Malaysian NIH aims to develop and consolidate health research in the country. Other research institutes of the NIH are the...
Read MoreEnvisioning the YPC
One of the most common questions I get asked about our Young Pharmacists Chapter is its relevance to the young pharmacist. What exactly is the vision? Is it a social club, a place to meet people? Or is it a place where young pharmacists get to know their profession more, be it via working with older pharmacists or helping the society organise events? The answer is quite simple, it is all of the above… but that does not tell the whole story. The main aim of establishing a healthy flourishing young pharmacists chapter is to safeguard the future of our profession – because in 20 years time,...
Read MoreThe Journey
Fresh out of pharmacy school, I was full of drive. I couldn’t wait to embark on my quest for clinical knowledge and implement them in my patients’ pharmaceutical care. I looked forward to the myriad of cases in a primary hospital setting and I was determined not to resort to being just a dispensing machine in a small hospital. You can imagine my sentiments when I received my posting – a tertiary hospital smacked in the middle of a small town, Sabak Bernam. I only found out that it was at the borderline of Perak-Selangor upon googling it! I felt that I will be missing out on...
Read MoreAbout Us
The Young Pharmacist Chapter of the MPS is a dedicated group of young pharmacists passionate about pharmacy and its role to play in Malaysia! So join us and make yourself count to your profession and your nation.