Ms Joy Chong is a valuable and respected community pharmacist, making significant contributions to Watsons pharmacy department and pharmacy profession. Armed with a MSc in Community Pharmacy (Distinction) and with her expertise as a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP), Joy currently spearheads the clinical team in Watsons as a Principal Clinical Pharmacist.
PSS-LF Asia Community Pharmacist of the Year Award Winner 2017
Ms Joy Chong Boon Ka
MSc (Comm Pharm) (Distinction), B Pharm (Hons), BCGP, CQSC
Principal Clinical Pharmacist, Watson’s Personal Care Stores Pte Ltd
Ms Joy Chong is a valuable and respected community pharmacist, making significant contributions to Watsons pharmacy department and pharmacy profession. Armed with a MSc in Community Pharmacy (Distinction) and with her expertise as a Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (BCGP), Joy currently spearheads the clinical team in Watsons as a Principal Clinical Pharmacist.
Trailblazer
During her early career, Joy played a pivotal role in various operational functions, such as new pharmacy set up and hosting pharmacy practice meetings. Heeding her calling to advance the clinical roles of community pharmacists, she was undaunted by the challenges and took up the position of the inaugural Principal Clinical Pharmacist in Watsons in 2014. Since then, Joy and her team members have been working tirelessly to initiate patient care projects in the pharmacy department. Various projects which she spearheaded include a patient study on allergic rhinitis management in collaboration with NUS Pharmacy Department, Community Pharmacist led Allergic Rhinitis Management (C-PhARM) Service and a study on health supplement use, attitudes and expectation on pharmacy practice.
Joy and her fellow pharmacists are also actively collaborating with leading academic and tertiary care institutions to initiate novel patient care projects, including Octo-Pills - medication review for elderly patients referred from Singapore General Hospital (SGH), medication collection for patients from SGH, many of which have led to local and overseas congress presentations as well as journal publications.
She also helms the workgroup in charge of drafting in-house therapeutic guidelines to standardise practice and enhance delivery of pharmaceutical care to patients. In addition, she serves as advisor for numerous clinical and professional development initiatives in the department.
Mentor and Coach
With an abiding love and passion for leadership renewal and talent development, Joy is dedicated towards mentoring and nurturing of pre-registration pharmacists, National University of Singapore (NUS) Pre-Employment Clinical Training (PECT) and Service Oriented Undergraduate Learning (SOUL) students, as well as polytechnic students, all of whom have benefited greatly from her unreserved sharing of experience and knowledge. Juggling multiple responsibilities concurrent with her clinical portfolio and daily dispensing duties, she remains committed towards coaching and developing her students, always rendering practical and valuable advice and guidance. As Co-Chief Preceptor in 2013, she revamped and optimised the pre-registration pharmacist training manual and competency logbook, which was positively received by both preceptors and preceptees.
Pharmacy Advocate
Joy is at the forefront of enhancing public awareness on the importance of pharmacists in patient care and drug safety. Going beyond passive endorsement, she actively provides one-to-one consultation to diabetes patients through the Watsons Diabetes Care Service, which is developed in collaboration with NUS Pharmacy Department.
In addition, she was actively involved in various other initiatives such as nursing home medication review, public health events and writing health articles for health magazines and local papers (e.g. Bigfootraveller travel and lifestyle blog, Berita Harian newspaper, GLOW magazine, Lian He Wan Bao newspaper, Wellness No 1 magazine) as well as conducting public health talks and media interviews (e.g. Channel 8 News, Shape and Health No 1 seminars).
A firm believer of service excellence, her dedication towards patient care won her the Singapore Retailers Association Excellent Service Award (EXSA) Gold award in 2016.
Active PSS Volunteer
On top of that, Joy maintains an active role in the PSS. She is a workgroup member for both "PSS Practice Guide for Minor Ailments" and "PSS Guideline and Singapore Standard for Supply and Delivery of Medications to Customers". She is also the editor for the module “Cough, Cold, Flu and Allergic Rhinitis” and the vetter for Vulvovaginal Candidiasis topic. In 2016, she served as a scientific committee member of the Singapore Pharmacy Congress organising committee.
Joy embodies the qualities of a successful community pharmacist, possessing excellent communication and interpersonal skill, empathy, adaptability on top of a commitment to lifelong learning. Her passion, determination and dedication particularly towards clinical development in community pharmacy won her several awards such as the Watsons Pharmacist Best Team Player and PSS Shining Star in 2014. She is indeed an exemplary role model for fellow community pharmacists.
PSS congratulates Ms Chong on receiving this well-deserved honour and award!
