| History of Society > BACKGROUNDER OF PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE
Mission
The Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore (PSS) is the professional organisation representing pharmacists in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Pharmaceutical Society, today it is steered by an elected council comprising a president and 11 council members. Our membership comprises pharmacists practicing in the community, hospital, marketing/sales/ distribution and academic sectors. PSS is a non-profit organisation.
The mission of the PSS is to “Maximise the contribution of pharmacists to the healthcare of Singaporeans”. To this end, we have adopted a two-pronged strategy - to upgrade pharmacists professionally and to reach out to the public through health education programmes.
The society aims to provide Singaporeans with high quality pharmaceutical services, which emphasize safe, efficacious and cost effective drug treatments. Professional Programmes
As the professional body for pharmacists, we run a comprehensive year-long continuing education programme which all members are strongly encouraged to participate in and keep updated professionally. The PSS continuing education accreditation scheme is voluntary. To meet the specialised needs of our practitioners, we organise aseptic dispensing and diabetes care courses regularly. These programmes attract a large number of participants from the region like Hong Kong, Brunei and Indonesia. The PSS is responsible for conducting training sessions for pre-registration pharmacists under the society’s pre-registration pharmacist training programme. The society also runs a certified hospital pharmacy technician course.
Since 1988, we have established the PSS Overseas Study Award where we identify promising pharmacists and, through sponsorship, send them to be trained at overseas centres of excellence including the Mayo Clinic (USA), Cleveland Clinic Foundation (USA), University of Minnesota (USA), and Peter McCallum Institute (Aust). On their return, our award recipients are expected to train fellow pharmacists so that their learnings can be shared and cascaded down to their peers.
The flagship of the PSS is our electronic bulletin (eBulletin) published every month, featuring articles and happenings within PSS' professional, pharmaceutical issues and clinical developments. Singapore Pharmacy Congress
For the last seventeen years, the PSS has organised highly successful annual pharmacy congresses. The congress aims to provide a forum for exchange of professional and scientific works, and ideas relevant to pharmacy and healthcare. In 1996, we took our congress to the Asian region by repositioning it as the Singapore Pharmacy Congress. As a result, we were able to attract a record number of participants including about 100 foreign delegates from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Hong Kong. The 13th Singapore Pharmacy Congress was held in November 1999 and the theme was “Emerging Trends in Pharmacy: Impact and Opportunities”.
In 2000 and 2001, our congresses will have significant international participation. The Pan Pacific Foundation will jointly organise their congress with the PSS in 2000.
The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and PSS jointly played host to the world at the annual World Pharmacy Congress of 2001, which was held in Singapore. About 3000 foreign and local delegates attended the congress. The congress for 2005 was a milestone event. On the one hand, PSS celebrated its centennial year in education and practice; on the other hand, the congress was co-organised with the Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore for the very first time. More than 500 delegates attended the event with participants hailed from as many as 18 different countries. The 2006 congress was held between 28 Jun to 3 Jul. Again, we have great success in the subject and participants mixes. Again, we have the privilege of working together with Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore. The 2007 Singapore Pharmacy Congress is now being organized. Scheduled to kick off between 19-21 Oct. 2007. We strongly urge you to mark this on your calendar and join us at the Riverfront Grand Copthorne Hotel. Do check our www.pharmacycongress.org.sg for regualar updates.
International Contribution of PSS
PSS also participates internationally to help improve the professionalism of our colleagues overseas. In 1994, we conducted session on “Running A Pharmaceutical Society - The Singapore Experience” for Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association members from Asian region. In the same year, Singapore formed part of the expert team with England and New Zealand on the invitation of the Pakistan government and spoke on the Professional Role of Pharmacists. In 1998, PSS participated in the WHO consultation on “The Role of the Pharmacist in Self-care and Self-medication” in the Hague. The report was published by the WHO in 1999. In the year 2001, PSS joined the inaugural formation of the Western Pacific Pharmaceutical Forum. This forum was initiated by the WHO and FIP. The forum provides a platform for national pharmaceutical associations in the western pacific region to share experiences and learn from each other.
In December 2004 when the Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated Sumatra and other parts of countries in Indian Ocean, our pharmacists volunteered selflessly to contribute time, money and efforts through various voluntary and welfare organisations. We have a few pharmacists who went to the disaster zone to as part of the medical mission to help provide emergency and medical relief operations. A team of pharmacists also offered their time and expertise to help sort out piles of medications and various medical supplies at the Singapore Arm Forces depot before shipping them out to the disaster zones.
The latest earthquake that hit Java again saw a pharmacist from Alexandra Hospital joining the medical relief mission to offer emergency medical assistance to the victims.
Recognising Outstanding Pharmacists
We believe in recognising members of our profession who have shown outstanding contributions and serve as role-model for other aspiring young professionals. Since 1995, Professor Lucy Wan has kindly donated an endowment fund to honour such exemplary leader of pharmacy profession. Beffitingly called the Professor Lucy Wan Outstanding Pharmacist Award, this is by far the most prestigious award ever to be given out by PSS to acknowledge and recognize such outstanding member.
Starting 1999, we recognize the role of our community (retail) pharmacists through the Community Pharmacist of the Year Award. This award has been kindly sponsored by UCB Pharma and more recently by Shering-Plough. The recipient of the award has been community pharmacists who has made significant contribution to his/her area of practice.
The contribution of hospital pharmacists to our healthcare system has now been recognized through the Hospital Pharmacist of the Year Award. Hospital pharmacists now play increasingly dominant roles to complement the higher value-chain healthcare services, and a visionary and inspiring practitioner would serve as a role model for others to emulate. We are thanksful to Shire Pharmaceutical for the sponsorship of the award. Public Health Programmes The society collaborates with the National Health Education Department, Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Board, Central Development Council and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) on some of the public health education programmes like smoking cessation, diabetes and self-medication. We also produce an extensive list of patient information leaflets to improve patients’ understanding of their illnesses and medicines. There is also a section in the website under Ask Your Pharmacist where wide array of public healthcare information could be tapped. Through these programmes, we advocate the importance of a healthy lifestyle, disease prevention and appropriate and responsible use of medicine. We also promote public advocacy so that each consumer is encourage to take ownership and participate in their own healthcare conditions. Since 1996, we have established the Pharmacy Awareness Week with the theme “Talk To Your Pharmacist” to encourage Singaporeans to talk to their pharmacists about their medicines, side effects and other medication related concerns. In 1996, the emphasis was on “Children and Medicines”; in 1997 it was “Keeping Seniors Healthy” and in 1998 the theme was “Talk to your Pharmacist - coping with Asthma”. During this week, there was health screening in pharmacies around the island, posters, and the highlight was a public forum on the same theme presented by a team of relevant healthcare professionals like doctors, health educators and pharmacists. The Pharmacy Awareness Week, organised in January 2000, had a theme of “Spring Cleaning Your Medicine Cabinet”. Pharmacies throughout Singapore provided the service of going through members of the public’s medicines to identify expired medicines and those that should be discarded. In this way, the awareness of the need to store medicines properly and the hazards of sharing certain medicines can be reinforced. In July 2003, A campaign on “Ask Your Pharmacist” about the medications that you are taking was launched. This objective of this campaign was to reach out to the public to encourage them to talk to the pharmacists about their medications. The PSS supports the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Healthcare for the Elderly. Two of our new projects aligned with the report include medication review services at residential homes for the aged and multi-service day care centres. In the long term, the PSS strives to promote the pharmacist as an integral member of the healthcare team, relevant to the healthcare profession and accessible to the public.
> MILESTONES OF PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF SINGAPORE
1905
| Straits Pharmaceutical Society, the predecessor of the present PSS was formed. It became mandatory, in the same year, to have a pharmaceutical licence in order to practise the pharmacy profession in Singapore.
| 1937
| Straits Pharmaceutical Association began to admit locally trained registered pharmacists.
| 1950
| A year after the formation of University of Malaya, a two-year full time Diploma in Pharmacy was introduced with two years practical training in a recognised hospital or retail pharmacy.
| 1952
| The Malayan Pharmaceutical Association was formed with its Southern Division covering Singapore which was then a Crown Colony. The Malayan Pharmaceutical Journal began publication and continued till 1958.
| 1959
| Honours degree course in pharmacy was introduced.
| 1965
| A three-year pass degree course leading to a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree was introduced under the School of Pharmacy
| 1967
| The Southern Division of the Malayan Pharmaceutical Association was renamed Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore (PSS).
| 1974
| The School of Pharmacy was re-organised and absorbed by the Faculty of Science as Department of Pharmacy offering B. Sc. (Pharmacy).
| 1979
| Pharmacists Registration Act was passed. A new Pharmacy Board was formed with all board members being pharmacists.
| 1980
| New code of ethics was formulated by PSS and accepted by the Pharmacy Board as a basis of Professional Practice in 1981. Guidelines on Pupilage, mooted by PSS, was accepted by the Pharmacy Board.
| 1981
| Amendments made to the Pharmacists Registration Act.
| 1985
| Introduction of First Annual Pharmacy Overseas Study Awards.
| 1986
| - Labeling of Medicines Act passed. PSS actively lobbied for this.
- Began publication and distribution of Patient Information leaflets.
| 1987
| - Intensive Public Education Campaign with the Training and Health Education Department of Ministry of Health and Diabetic Medication Counselling.
- Organised First Annual Pharmacy Congress.
| 1988
| - Launch of first Pre-Registration training of graduates by PSS.
- Launch of First Aseptic Dispensing Course.
- Second Annual Pharmacy Congress.
- Oncology Pharmacy Services.
| 1989
| National Health Fair - Public Health Screening.
| 1991
| - Asthma medication counselling.
- Cardiac medication counselling.
| 1992
| - First PSS Hospital Pharmacy Technicians Course began.
- First PSS - Schering Plough Community Practice Series Continuing Education for pharmacists.
| 1994
| - Public Education Programme (PEP) development.
- PSS conducted session on “Running A Pharmaceutical Society - The Singapore Experience” for Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association members from Asian region.
- Singapore formed part of the expert team with England and New Zealand on the invitation of the Pakistan government and spoke on the Professional Role of Pharmacists.
| 1995
| - Conception and launch of Professor Lucy Wan’s Outstanding Pharmacist Award.
- Public Education Programme continues.
| 1996
| - Development by PSS of compulsory core syllabus for pre-registration pharmacist training in Singapore.
- Revamped Continuing Education program with launch of PSS CE Accreditation Scheme simultaneously with the new CE newsletter “Professional Pillar”.
- Protocols on reclassified Pharmacy Only medicines for pharmacists.
- Introduction of Patient Medication Record.
- Adverse Drug Reaction reporting on Pharmacy Only medicines by pharmacists.
- 10th Singapore Pharmacy Congress. First regional pharmacy congress. Change of name from Annual Pharmacy Congress to attract regional participation.
- First Chinese Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) - PSS Exchange Programme.
- First “Pharmacy Week” organised by PSS with public forum on “Children and Medicines” and public health screening island-wide from 5th - 12th October 1996.
- NUS Department of Pharmacy and PSS collaboration on compulsory 200 contact hours of vacation attachment experience at pharmaceutical establishments for pharmacy undergraduates (November 1996).
| 1997
| - PSS officially launched it’s home page (http://home.pacific.net.sg/~pss) on the Internet on 24 April 1997.
- Guidelines For Good Pharmacy Practice published and circulated to pharmacists in June 1997.
| 1998
| - PSS-SGH Aseptic Dispensing Seminar incorporating basic and advanced modules on 16-20 March 1998.
- PSS joined International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
| 1999
| - PSS-NUH Seminar in Aseptic Dispensing Practice on 15-19 March 1999. The first Singapore National Guidelines on Aseptic Dispensing was launched. Also for the first time, a scientific session was held at the seminar with publication of the first proceedings.
- Presented first UCB-PSS Community Pharmacist of the Year Award.
| 1999
| - 13th Singapore Pharmacy Congress attended by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Health.
– Announced that annual congress would go international in 2000 and 2001. 2000 congress to be co-hosted with Pan Pacific Foundation and 2001 congress with FIP.
| 2000
| 14th Singapore Pharmacy Congress/9th Pan Pacific Conference attended by Mr Chan Soo Sen, the Parliament Secretary (Prime Minister’s Office & Health).
| 2001
| – The 95th PSS Council organised Strategic Planning to chart the future direction of the society.
- PSS co-organized the 61st International Congress of FIP with FIP and the cogress was opened by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Health and Second Minister of Finance of Singapore
| 2002
| 15th Singapore Pharmacy Congress attended by Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Minister of State (Health & the Environment)
| 2003
| - In response to the SARS outbreak in March 2003, PSS actively participated in public education by producing 4 patient information leaflets pertaining to measurement of body temperature, selection of health supplements, selection of disinfectants and selection of facemask.
-In July 2003, PSS organized a campaign to encourage the public to “Ask Your Pharmacist” about the medicines that they are taking. Medication review for patients who were on polypharmacy was also introduced.
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