Ms. Tan graduated with a degree in pharmacy from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Starting out as a community pharmacist with Apex, she moved to KK Women’s And Children’s Hospital and led a team managing medication supply and counselling services for specialists’ clinics. She then joined the National Healthcare Group Pharmacy as a senior pharmacist. There she was overseeing retail operations, running specialised pharmacy services and providing nursing home medication reviews.

Pursuing her interest in intermediate and long term care, Ms. Tan is now 4 years into her leadership role as Pharmacy Manager of Ren Ci Hospital; a 500-bedded charity hospital. Other than leading the pharmacy team, she also holds other portfolios including Chair, Medication Error Review Committee; and Chair, Medication Safety Quality Improvement Committee at Ren Ci.

Actively involving herself in quality and service improvement programmes, Ms. Tan led the pharmacy department in the conduct of many projects that gave very impactful results. One that is worth mention is the project that was carried out during the ‘Ren Ci Hospital Cut-Waste  Campaign.’ This is one crucial project that helped Ren Ci win the’ Gold Excellence Award’ under the ‘Productivity Category’; in the Asian Hospital Management Conference. On a more personal level, Ms. Tan has also been honoured with the ‘Hospital Quality Service Award’ from Ren Ci hospital and the ‘Excellence Service Award’ from the National Healthcare Group Pharmacy.

Despite her busy schedule, Ms. Tan is also actively involved in education and training. She is a preceptor to polytechnic students, provides medication training to doctors and nurses, as well as contributes articles to Ren Ci’s internal newsletter.

She also continually strives to broaden her knowledge, and is currently pursuing the Masters in Gerontology; offered by the Singapore Institute of Management University.

What do others say about Ms. Tan?

“I have worked with Lay Keuan for the past 2 years. I am always inspired by her enthusiasm and proactive attitude towards improving the systems in the hospital, and she does not restrict it to just the Pharmacy department. She is perpetually concerned about medication safety and has started many wonderful initiatives in Ren Ci Hospital, such as the drug formulary handbook, medication near misses reviews etc. What impresses me more is her constant quest to improve herself so that she can better serve the patients in the hospital. She is very dependable and a great asset to the organization.” Dr Lee Liang Tee, Clinical Director, Ren Ci Hospital.

“I  only got to know Lay Keuan when she joined Ren Ci Hospital in  October 2009  as a Pharmacy Manager . She is one who thrives on challenges, hence she decided to leave the acute hospital  setting to try her hands in what she believes so passionately –“to make  a difference in the lives of the needy and the sick.”  As a professional, she is one who does not compromise on work standards. To Lay Keuan, thoroughness, accuracy and integrity are key attributes which she upholds. As a colleague, Lay Keuan is always willing to share her knowledge whenever she is approached, be it to provide the information or to render  assistance.  She is certainly a versatile and adaptable  professional who adjusts quickly and smoothly to various dynamic situations.   She definitely makes a good role model to aspiring young pharmacists. “ Margarita Liew, Human Resource Director, Ren Ci Hospital.

An interview with Ms Tan Lay Keuan:

1. What would your advice be for the younger pharmacists?

I would like to encourage pharmacists to join the ILTC sector for a meaningful career. The doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in the community hospitals are generally friendly and there is good camaraderie among all. Staff also develop good rapport with the patients as they tend to stay much longer in this compared to the other more acute healthcare settings.

Just to share a little more about Ren Ci. There are 15 doctors, 2 full time pharmacists and 4 pharmacy technicians for the 500 community hospital and nursing home beds. Staff here have many opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge. It is certainly a fulfilling place to work in.

The ILTC sector is a growing industry and the government is giving a lot of attention and resource to this area. Different models of care are being explored and innovative approaches have been and are being tried. It is an exciting sector for pharmacists to use their knowledge and skills and be a blessing to patients who require intermediate to long-term care.

2. What do you hope to see in your area of work?

I aspire to make a difference in the care of the elderly patient and in the aging population. I hope to empower them to take charge of their health and to enable them to have a better quality of life.

3. What is the most memorable moment in your pharmacy career?

My most memorable moment was when Ren Ci clinched the ‘Gold Excellence Award – Productivity category’ in the Asian Hospital Management Conference held in Thailand this year.

It was memorable because pharmacy department contributed to this victory by submitting the most number of impactful projects that stretched the donor’s dollar, and was also recognized for the various cut-waste initiatives that we worked on.

4. My future plan is.......

§  To continue to work with healthcare professionals to provide quality care to patients

§  To collaborate with community partners to support patients and their families

To be part of the national strategy in making eldercare an area of international excellence