Interview with Mr Wu Tuck Seng
Winner of the National Outstanding Clinical Quality Champion Award at the National Medical Excellence Awards 2016
Mr Wu Tuck Seng, Deputy Director, Department of Pharmacy, National University Health System, was awarded the National Outstanding Clinical Quality Champion Award at the National Medical Excellence Awards (NMEA) in August this year. The award was among the 4 individual awards and 1 team award at the awards ceremony. The prestigious accolade given out by the Ministry of Health recognises contributions from health professionals for innovations in healthcare, patient safety, clinical quality, biomedical research as well as training and education of clinicians.
The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) was Mr Wu's brainchild and its development and implementation has earned world-class recognition. He also played a vital role in the implementation of the Closed Loop Medication Management System (CLMMS). Both systems have won multiple awards locally and internationally.
Today, the Young Pharmacists Chapter interviews Mr Wu to find out from him what drives his passion in pursuing clinical excellence and clinical quality, and shares his words of advice for aspiring young pharmacists.
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1. How do you define clinical excellence and clinical quality? What is considered clinical excellence in the practice of Pharmacy?
a) Clinical excellence simply refers to the good work/service rendered to patients that is above and beyond what is expected of normal practice
b) Clinical quality is the measure of the standard of service rendered to patients benchmarked against a set criteria/grade/standard
c) Clinical excellence in pharmacy practice takes into account the professional behavior resulting from the acquisition and application of knowledge, skills and attitudes that result in significant positive patient/customer outcomes that are consistent and sustained over a period of time
2. How can clinical excellence be measured?
By the scope/extent, quality and the desired positive outcomes that are achieved, benchmarked against the best.
3. Healthcare organizations are increasingly feeling the pressure from lack of manpower, increasing costs, and other limitations in delivering quality healthcare. How would these affect the pursuit of excellence?
Resource constraints in fact can either fuel burnout or innovation in a staff. The pursuit of excellence in healthcare is a singular focus of putting patients first in all that we do. For the resilient individual, constraint is a challenge. For the non resilient, constraint is a bane and often leads to stress, frustration and may result in resignation. With resource constraints, innovative staff will think of ways to be more productive, i.e. do more with the same or less, and look at what is of value to concentrate on rather than try and do everything. It is this thinking that will lead to breakthroughs in the way work is performed to achieve better, cheaper, faster and safer results/outcomes.
4. Besides those already mentioned, what are some other obstacles that people or organizations run up against when trying to achieve excellence, and how can we overcome these obstacles? What is your advice for young pharmacists to persevere during the pursuit of excellence?
Excellence is a trait/value that one acquires in the course of one’s work/career. So is patience – the desire to be the best that one can be. Good is not enough. You must love what you do and do what you love. Often times, these individuals have role models or mentors that they can look up to, and to emulate. Obstacles can arise from people, process and system perspectives. For example, insufficient manpower, training, opportunities, the lack of career prospects, mundaneness of the job, a lack of job satisfaction, having too many nay-sayers around, no or lack of foresight, or even office politics. It could even be yourself – due to FEAR – fear of change, fear of failure.
For young pharmacists – I would recommend that they find a mentor (Master Si Fu) or role model who can guide and advice them. They need to establish for themselves what is the meaning and purpose of the work they do. They have to ask themselves is what they do just work? Or is it a career they are looking for? Or beyond that, is it a passion? Passion is obviously the substance that will drive perseverance and determination, as do patience. Often, associated with passion is a big dream – what they want to achieve for themselves in the long term. They must remain humble and teachable and must embrace continuous improvement as a way of life.
5. What motivates you to pursue clinical excellence?
My patients. I trained to be a pharmacist, so that I can help patients conquer disease, pain and suffering through medication therapy. Professional satisfaction is obtained from working alongside other healthcare providers, for example, doctors or nurses in a team, looking after the needs of the patient to achieve the medical aims of preventing and curing disease, prolonging life, or to palliate.
6. How have your experiences in healthcare contributed to your ideas of excellence? Does winning the National Outstanding Clinical Quality Champion Award make a difference to your work?
My work experience gained over the years has allowed me to pace myself, re-look at what is of value, and prioritise and concentrate on the things I do well and can excel in. Pharmacy automation and clinical pharmacy are the 2 things that give me meaning and purpose in my career. Winning the National Outstanding Clinical Quality Champion award has encouraged me to do more, including challenging the status quo. It has also kept me grounded, humble, hopeful and enthusiastic.
7. The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) and Closed Loop Medication Management System (CLMMS) are two examples of systems which have improved clinical and service quality. Moving forward, what other initiatives do you envision can be developed to further improve clinical excellence?
Closed loop inventory management to increase staff productivity and patient safety and closed loop medication management using smart pumps to improve medication safety of IV drugs. The training and education of clinical pharmacists is important to ensure there is a continual supply of clinical pharmacists. So, I will continue to champion this. Working with patients and doctors to establish patient centric clinical pharmacy services to address gaps in the care continuum will also be work in progress for me.
8. Any other advice for young, aspiring pharmacists on how to pursue clinical excellence in their career journey?
Know yourself (your strengths and weaknesses), work on the weaknesses, sharpen your skills and knowledge through training, practice, trial and error. Talk to your seniors/mentor, find your niche area(s) – what you are good at doing and love to do. Be kind to yourself (do not self-condemn if things do not work out initially). Stay humble, dare to dream and dream big and aim high. Never be afraid of failure. Dare to fail. Learn from your mistakes and do not repeat them. Fail quick, learn fast. Listen to understand, understand to do and do to achieve the highest. In everything that you have and do, give thanks. Always do your best in both small and big things, and do not give excuses.
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The Young Pharmacists Chapter would like to thank Mr Wu Tuck Seng for his time, and congratulate him once again for this well-deserved honour and award!
Written by: Ong Kheng Yong
