Yes, it has been awhile since I last updated. I seriously don't know the reason I have been so busy lately. Maybe I am also a little uninspired to blog after Chinese New Year.
After spending a glorious 9-day break for CNY, I returned to HKL to start in a new department, PRIC aka Pharmacy Resources and Information Centre. Besides answering drug enquiries from public and hospital staff, we had do proforma and design brochures and bulletins as well. At times, we had to be send as relief to Orthopedic Pharmacy and Methadone Pharmacy when they are under staff. My first week there was pretty relaxing but the weeks that came were super busy as I tried to rush finishing my brochure and bulletins. All in all, I really enjoyed my time there. It was one department which I felt that everyone there are really really nice to PRPs and they do acknowledge us, not just when they need us to do work. But alas, since there were so many public holidays that ensued, I only spend 12 out of 20 days there.
After having a comparatively "relaxing" time at PRIC, my next department was one I feared - Outpatient Pharmacy. Although I can learn so much things there, having so many patients everyday just made me so stressed out. Especially when they placed me at Counter B aka the "Problem" counter, the counter to clarify all the problematic prescriptions. Actually, 80% of the problems come from illegibility of handwriting. Yes, HKL is so primitive in the sense they still use manual prescriptions, requiring prescribers to write manually. Because of that, I feel there are more errors since not everyone can decipher the handwriting. Not only that, sometimes the strength written is not available, and no duration or frequency is written as well. I have been fortunate so far in the sense that I have not been scolded by any doctors yet.
The biggest problem I have to deal with is dealing with impatient patients. How I wish patients can be more reasonable. Sometimes it is so difficult to call the doctors, especially during lunch hour or sometimes when they don't even picked up the phone. I really salute those pharmacists and pharmacy assistants who work at OPD because they have to deal with this kind of stuff on a daily basis. Everyday, I get to witness nasty and annoying patients. We don't gain any monetary profits from doing our service, but we want to ensure zero medication errors so please just let us do our jobs. Also, please understand we have policies to abide by.
"UNCLE, WE CANNOT SUPPLY MORE THAN 2 MONTHS OF MEDICATIONS!!!!"
If I can do it, I will really shout at the patient. He was so nasty forcing me to break the rules. After talking to my superior about taking the rest of the supply of his medications at another hospital, again he became impatient and threaten to report me to my supervisor. I was like wtf? Did you not agreed to take your supply elsewhere? Why the sudden change? Some Malaysians need to learn decent manners.
But luckily, not all of them are like that. I have met some really nice and grateful patients. In return, I feel happy to serve them. I just wish my work can be appreciated more, I guess.
Random pics taken from my Instagram that I am currently addicted to:
Madam Kwan's banana fritters with ice-cream tops my list of favourite desserts ever!
