In the spotlight is an initiative by PSS that features pharmacists who excel in their area of practice and have been role models for fellow pharmacists. In this issue, we feature:
Mr Kong Ming Chai
Education credentials:
MSc(Pharm)
Senior Principal Clinical Pharmacist
Singapore General Hospital
Area of Interest: Anticoagulation, Ambulatory care
Years of Experience: 12 years
Ming Chai graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1990 went on to receive his Masters in Clinical Pharmacy 2005. He has undergone the Anticoagulation Training Programme at the Anticoagulation Clinic of North America at San Antonio, Texas, the Anticoagulation Therapy Management Certificate Programme at the University of Southern Indiana and a clinical pharmacology attachment at Bassette Healthcare, New York, USA. He obtained his credential as Certified Anticoagulation Care Provider (CACP) from USA in May 2005. Ming Chai is currently a Senior Principal Clinical Pharmacist in the Singapore General Hospital and is the Pharmacist-in-Charge of the Anticoagulation Management Clinic.
What others have said about Ming Chai:
Ming Chai had always been very patient in guiding and teaching us. He is very approachable and we will not hesitate to consult him whenever we are in doubt.
Ming Chai is like a "Big Brother" to us, giving us advice in anything from work to personal family issues.
An Interview with Mr Kong Ming Chai
A. What would your advice be for the younger pharmacists? Especially when faced with challenges?
Learn as much as you can, and build up your network of friends in your work place.
Seek advice from the elderly or the more experience friends / staff would be able to help you face the challenge with ease. Be persevering in area which you pursue.
B. What helped / motivated you to be where you are today?
Continue learning, seeking for the updates in our area of practice.
Sharing of experience and information with others helps to make the learning more fun.
C. Who would you say is your role model, whom inspired you to excel in the pharmacy field that you chose?
Dr Joe Bertino, a clinical pharmacist and researcher from USA, is a great teacher and researcher. His relentless effort in research and numerous publications, always willing to share his experience and help others inspired many. He is one of my ideal role model and he is great drive for my continue learning and excel in pharmacy practice.
D. What is the most memorable moment in your pharmacy career?
When you get compliment from your patients and bosses.
E. Describe your career progression path.
I started as an outpatient pharmacist in 1990, doing dispensing everyday at that time.
I was then put as in-charge as discharge pharmacy, a small pharmacy handling all the discharge cases in the hospital that time.
I left SGH after 1 year, to join sales and marketing for a few years, and I went back to Malaysia in 1995 to try out a different career in retail pharmacy, and to help up in family business. I have also joined as locum in Guardian Pharmacy and then I landed as pharmacist in-charge at Pantai Cheras Medical Hospital in KL.
I came back to Singapore and join back SGH in May 2000. I started as outpatient pharmacist and I also took up the Master in Clinical Pharmacy course organized by NUS. This is to help me to refresh my learning and to gain new knowledge.
During that time, a group of the pharmacists joined to form special interest group (SIG) to learn on anticoagulation management. It is during this time, that we got to start up Anticoagulation Clinic as our first ambulatory services. I enjoyed doing the clinic as it helps me to focus on patient care thoroughly.
I was also studying for my Clinical Pharmacy course in NUS and I got the chance to go for clinical attachment in NUH, NCC and oversea posting at Bassett Healthcare, New York, where I met Dr Joe Bertino, at his Clinical Pharmacology Service.
I had another chance for HMDP posting for enhancing my experience in Anticoagulation Management at Anticoagulation Clinic of North America, as San Antonio, Texas, USA. I was tasked to take up the challenge for setting up training program for Anticoagulation Management in SGH. And I am very lucky that these training finally got started and going on well and we have trained many pharmacists since 2005.
Along with time, we started new ambulatory service like Rheumatology Monitoring Clinic, Allergy Clinic, Smoking Cessation services, together with our existing service like Asthma Clinic.
All these challenges and experience made my job and career very fulfilling and enjoyable, and I always make it an effort to encourage other colleague and junior to join the team of services and sharing of our experience, in order to build up our team members in ambulatory service.
