In the evening of 29-May-2008, a new batch of pharmacists took their inaugural pledge in the presence of Minister for Health and Chief Pharmacists to officially enter the profession as registered pharmacists.

This marked a new era in the pharmacy profession by virtue of the changes that are being introduced to the pharmacy profession since the amended Pharmacists Registration Act was amended last September.

This batch of 68 new pharmacists who took the Pledge of Affirmation was also the very first batch of pharmacists who were required to undertake and pass the entry into practice competency assessment prescribed under the SPB Competency Standards Framework 2006.

During the pledge ceremony, Chief Pharmacist – Ms. Ang Hui Gek – announced a number of measures the SPB will undertake to transform the pharmacy profession to better meet the changing service demand and technological advancement in the healthcare scene. The full text of her speech can be read HERE. The compulsory CPE and the introduction of the Specialist Pharmacists Register are 2 such changes to the laws which are aimed at achieving such transformation. She also announce officially that the MOH will be setting aside S$7 million over the next 5 years to fund pharmacists for their overseas trainings. A press release by MOH can be read here. (http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/pressreleases.aspx?id=19168)

This truly marked a new milestone in the pharmacy profession and on behalf of PSS, we would like to welcome and congratulate our new colleagues who have just joined the profession officially.

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