Interview with Ms Low Suat Fern

Can you tell us about what you do?

I started out as an Outpatient Pharmacist in Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). I was given many opportunities to try out many roles during my time in TTSH. During those initial years, on top of supervising a team of Pharmacy Assistants, I was also given the opportunity to run Anti-Coagulation Clinic and Heart Failure Clinic. I also organised community events for the public like educational forums, medication review and health screening, through collaboration with other clinical departments. I discovered my interest in geriatrics when I started reviewing the nursing home residents’ medications in 2003. In 2006 and 2007, I was in charge of running the TTSH Private Pharmacy before moving on to Alexandra Hospital (AH) to seek further challenges.

When I joined AH, I took over the Nursing Home medication supply and review team and improved its workflow and clinical standards. I also helped to run the Anticoagulation Clinic. In order to improve myself clinically and provide better pharmaceutical care to the nursing home residents, I obtained my certification as a Geriatric Pharmacist in 2008 from America via the Commission for Certification in Geriatric Pharmacy. After I had obtained the certification, I set up the Geriatric Pharmacist Clinic at AH in 2009. On top of the above, I was the overall Preceptor-In-Charge for AH Pre-registration Pharmacists before AH shifted to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH).

What would your best advice be for the younger pharmacists, especially when faced with challenges to motivate them and keep them going?

Younger pharmacists should remind themselves that being a healthcare profession is a calling. They need to find out what keeps them motivated. Holding on to, and if necessary balancing these two truths should keep most of them going. They should seize any opportunity that is presented to them in a positive manner. They should take up the challenges they face and treat them as motivating factors to keep them going too. No matter how big the challenges are, treat them as learning opportunities, persevere and be resilient. They should find meaning in what they do on a daily basis so that they do not find it a chore to deliver patient care.  

In KTPH, I pioneered the Pharmacist Outreach Program through home visitations. I was also appointed as an assessor of the Standards and Accreditation Resource Unit and help out in conducting mock audits across all National Healthcare Group institutions. I believe in applying what I had learnt in school and during work by contributing back to the society and doing meaningful work. I am passionate about providing holistic care to the elderly and have been very involved in the Long Term Care setting. Thus, when given the opportunity to head the Pharmacy Department in Yishun Community Hospital (YCH), I gladly took up the offer as I know there is a lack of care integration across the transitions of care in our patients’ journey. By providing care in a Community Hospital setting, I can help to piece up one of the jigsaw puzzles currently missing in the continuum of care.  

I am now in charge of the Pharmacy Department in YCH. On top of my administrative duties, I continue to review patients’ medications at the Geriatric Pharmacist Clinic and nursing homes. I aim to review one of the YCH wards when it is open on 28 December 2015.

What do you think are the contributions you have made to the pharmacy profession?

I have been very active in providing medication review service to the nursing homes and am one of the pioneers involved in providing Pharmacist Outreach Programme through home visitation. Early in my career, with time permitting, I was also fairly active in organising and participating in the activities organised by the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore. Other roles and activities include:

• Preceptor to pre-registration Pharmacists
• Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore’s Pharmacy Congress Organising Committee
• Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore’s Public Education Committee Appointment as a member of the Pharmacy Specialists Accreditation Committee for Advanced Pharmacotherapy (Geriatrics)
• Appointment as a member of the National Medication Reconciliation Blueprint workgroup
• Appointment as a member of the National Medication Reconciliation Guidelines workgroup

How did you juggle between your family/personal life and achieving such great height in your pharmacy career? What are the challenges which the young ones should look out for?

I am married with 3 daughters. I am able to juggle between my family/personal life and my pharmacy career due to very strong family support from my husband and parents-in-law. For that I am very thankful. I think that the young pharmacists should look out for opportunities that marry their interest(s) and their duties. It is only when our interest and career align that we can enjoy a long and fulfilling career. For example, my interest is in geriatrics. It is a joy to provide pharmaceutical care to the elderly patients. It reminds me of the memorable time I spent with my late grandparents. Coupled with the ability to speak Mandarin and Hokkien fluently and Teochew fairly well on top of English, I am able to strike a conversation, engage and understand our elderly social and medical issues much better and thus providing holistic care to the geriatric population.  So long as we are sincere in providing good quality care, we will be recognized. This is the reason why I was nominated and appointed by the Minster of Health to serve as a Board of Visitor to the Welfare Homes. I enjoy doing this volunteer work on a monthly basis as I can put my knowledge and skills to good use and thus, benefiting the residents residing in these Homes.

Community care is the focus in the many years to come, so is geriatric care due to our ageing population. Young pharmacists should consider contributing to our nation’s needs by providing pharmaceutical care to this vulnerable population. They should try to be active in the activities organized by the Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore or the hospital’s community outreach or education programs. Doing so serves as a periodic reminder of our utility to our community and a motivation to continue in our occupation.

What are the qualities or traits, in your opinion, required to make one an outstanding pharmacist?

To have the “ASK” attribute, that is, to have the right attitude, skills and knowledge. Besides this, we should have a good working relationship with fellow Pharmacy colleagues and other healthcare professionals. We should participate actively in national workgroup(s) to contribute to the society and make a difference to our patient’s life.