BMS stands for balance medication sheets. It is a letter issued by my hospital pharmacy department to remind patients to collect their balance medications at certain date...
In government hospitals or clinics, the doctors usually see patients with chronic diseases once in every 2 months or sometime up to 9 months. SO within the 1st and the next appointment, patient will usually continue on their medications and they have to collect their medications in the pharmacy department.
If they are in the private hospitals, usually they can collect all of their medications in one go. However, in the government setting, with the increasing number of patients and the limited budget to buy drugs, we always control our supply by issuing out a BMS to the patient to ask them to come back to collect the balance and at the same time check their compliance on those medications.
Towards the end of the year, we are issuing out a lot of BMS, to almost every patient and at a very near date... For example if the doctor prescribed 6 months medications, we can only supply 1-2 months supply, some even only 2 weeks supply. This means that we have to see the patient VERY VERY often to refill their prescriptions.
Refilling prescriptions at this speed----once every 2 weeks or once a month for a 6months prescriptions is tiring. It is very inefficient and lowering the compliance of patients on their medications. Although no actual statistic had been published on the percentage of patient coming back to collect their balance med, it will definitely not be 100%...
For patients who are not considerate, they will make a lot of noise and complaining that the government servants are not efficient and we are cold blood. I do not blame them. If I were the patient, I will also be very frustrated to come back and collect medications so often and each time when I come back, I have to purposely take leave, spend money on transport, waste time on waiting, sigh... such a miserable life.
However, I must say something on behalf of my department. We are also human and we feel sympathy on the patients who have to keep coming back for their medications, especially the elderly and those who stays very far from the hospital. Everyday we are trying very hard to ensure that the supply of the medications are sufficient. But with the increasing numbers of patients who transfer from private to government hospitals due to economic downturn and the H1N1 flu outbreak last 2 months and without extra money given to the pharmacy department, what can we do? We got no money to buy and can only borrow a small amount from other hospitals when the medication finish. I especially feel sad for my colleagues who work in the store who have to keep calling to beg for drugs from other hospital...
I strongly agree with a comment published in the STAR paper from an Ipoh pharmacist.
"I can confidently say that government pharmacy departments are at a breaking point whereby in many cases the money has already run out"
"Therefore I urge our Prime Minister and health minister to look into this urgent matter. Maybe instead of spending money to open 50 1Malaysia clinics, the allocation can be used to meet public demand for medications"
In my opinion, it is really time to consider to increase the payment to receive treatments in the government hospital and make sure that only those hardcore poor citizens enjoy free treatments. For those who are "not so poor" they can at least pay for their medications, at least 20% of medications they received. This can also make sure that wastage of medications lowered. When one have to fork out money to pay, they will then appreciate how much had the government done on providing the almost free healthcare treatment to the public. We are all tax payers. I do not wish the money which I contribute to the country continue to use to support some rich people.....
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Panic
I was hopping that I can finish the trainee life asap. But now when it is all over, I felt uneasy and suddenly do not know what to do with my life.
The one year of PRP turns out to be a calm and steady path. But when everything turns out to be too smooth, it just doesn't seems right... It is a very difficult feeling to be explain by words.
Most of my best friends and colleagues were posted to the east Malaysia or cities in the northern states to continue their government service. The ministry of health people seems to be to tired with all of us. Non of the appeal to stay back in the hometown were accepted and all of them just suddenly dissapear from my life. We don't even hav a proper farewell gathering before they leave. It is all too sudden, and I think I am still not used to it until now.
It is 2 weeks from the day I reported to my workplace. It is glad to know that I can continue to work in the same place, staying in the comfort zone and ignoring the world outside. BUT these voices in my brain telling me to get out from the place I am familiar with and get out from my parent's house I had stayed for 25 years had grew stronger and stronger. I will ended up having schizephrenia if I still live my life like this.
what I am suppose to do????????????????????????????????
The one year of PRP turns out to be a calm and steady path. But when everything turns out to be too smooth, it just doesn't seems right... It is a very difficult feeling to be explain by words.
Most of my best friends and colleagues were posted to the east Malaysia or cities in the northern states to continue their government service. The ministry of health people seems to be to tired with all of us. Non of the appeal to stay back in the hometown were accepted and all of them just suddenly dissapear from my life. We don't even hav a proper farewell gathering before they leave. It is all too sudden, and I think I am still not used to it until now.
It is 2 weeks from the day I reported to my workplace. It is glad to know that I can continue to work in the same place, staying in the comfort zone and ignoring the world outside. BUT these voices in my brain telling me to get out from the place I am familiar with and get out from my parent's house I had stayed for 25 years had grew stronger and stronger. I will ended up having schizephrenia if I still live my life like this.
what I am suppose to do????????????????????????????????
Thursday, August 20, 2009
15malaysia short film
Watch this:
www.15malaysia.com
The most hilarious Potong saga, the meningful chocolate and many more to come
If you like Yasmin Ahmad, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP-j6vUGwK4&feature=related
www.15malaysia.com
The most hilarious Potong saga, the meningful chocolate and many more to come
If you like Yasmin Ahmad, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP-j6vUGwK4&feature=related
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Rest in peace
I do not know Teoh Boon Hock until he appeared on the front page of the newspaper, lying dead at the premises of the Malaysian Anti corruption commission (MACC). I was so shock that this is actually happening in Malaysia, where somebody walks into a government building alive but come out as a dead body. I began wondering whether this place that I stayed is still the Malaysia I know. Can I still stay in this piece of land??? I felt sorry for this young man, his fiancée and his family members. Hope he will rest in peace and the next life he will not be born in Malaysia.
I voted for the opposition in 308 elections, not hopping to change the BN government but just to tell BN I am not satisfied with what they are doing and hope that there is a stronger opposition which can counter check the current government. With the new opposition government formed less than a year and was probe by the anti corruption body, I was quite disappointed and I really hope they are not equally as dirty as their former counterparts. However, what are the interrogation method the anti corruption officers used until a young man was dead not even after 1 day of going into their building?
This is so scary. When a Mongolian woman died bombing by the former armies, an Indian boy died in a police station during interrogation, can anyone that we know found dead the next day they went into a government building? If someone wishes you to die the next day, will you just vanish into the thin air without leaving any remaining? We really want to know what is actually happening in this country.
For Dato Seri Najib, our beloved prime minister, I hope he can really sit down discuss with his cabinet members to let the Royal Comission of Inquiry investigate the cause of dead of Teoh. All we want is just the truth of what had actually happened on 16.7.09 in the MACC premise. Whether or not Teoh had commited a crime, he is not supposed to die this way. If he was really murdered, let the murderers face the justice. Let’s be focus and put away all the political differences and the racial divide. This is human life. He was dead and will never come back again. Give us the answers we want. I just hope that this will just not turned out to be an unresolved case, and later become the most mysterious case in Malaysia for the past 52 years.
I voted for the opposition in 308 elections, not hopping to change the BN government but just to tell BN I am not satisfied with what they are doing and hope that there is a stronger opposition which can counter check the current government. With the new opposition government formed less than a year and was probe by the anti corruption body, I was quite disappointed and I really hope they are not equally as dirty as their former counterparts. However, what are the interrogation method the anti corruption officers used until a young man was dead not even after 1 day of going into their building?
This is so scary. When a Mongolian woman died bombing by the former armies, an Indian boy died in a police station during interrogation, can anyone that we know found dead the next day they went into a government building? If someone wishes you to die the next day, will you just vanish into the thin air without leaving any remaining? We really want to know what is actually happening in this country.
For Dato Seri Najib, our beloved prime minister, I hope he can really sit down discuss with his cabinet members to let the Royal Comission of Inquiry investigate the cause of dead of Teoh. All we want is just the truth of what had actually happened on 16.7.09 in the MACC premise. Whether or not Teoh had commited a crime, he is not supposed to die this way. If he was really murdered, let the murderers face the justice. Let’s be focus and put away all the political differences and the racial divide. This is human life. He was dead and will never come back again. Give us the answers we want. I just hope that this will just not turned out to be an unresolved case, and later become the most mysterious case in Malaysia for the past 52 years.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Autopsy
Having flu? take a capsule of Carinox. Pseudoephedrine + Loratadine
Nice from outside. Not much different from other products.
Walaoeh... Another Malaysia Boleh product.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Looking good but going nowhere
A doctor asked me the other day, whether I feel frustrated when dispensing. After study so hard for 4 years, I am just dispensing at the counter...
I had mixed feeling when she said that. I told her we are doing many things besides dispensing. Things like TDM, TPN, clinical stuff, controlling stocks, counter checking prescriptions, providing drug information, monitored drug therapy for specific patients and etc.These are important... The doctor doesn't seems to listen. She just shrug her shoulder.
The public sees pharmacist = dispenser. They do now know what are the pharmacist doing. So are many doctors. They thought we are just taking "gaji buta" and sit there doing nothing. They do not see the importance of our job. Without pharmacist, many doctors' license will kena suspend... I am serious.
Healthcare professionals work as a team. The main purpose in the end of the day is to provide good patient care and let them recover from their illness asap.
Dispensing is crucial and it is part of patient care. Pharmacist prepare reliable medications and distribute them to patients, counseling patients about their prescription drugs and how to best use them. I think ensure that the patients are taking medication are as important as writing a precription.
Furthermore, in the ward, clinical pharmacists participate in drug selection, drug Regimen, develop and implement pharmaceutical therapeutic plans, document it and follow-up of outcomes... Since malaysia just start to have pharmacist ward round with doctors, I understand many doctors just cant get used to it. But just remember that we are not finding fault or try to challenge any decisions. We are just there to help. Lets us work hand in hand to provide a better healthcare service for the public.
I had mixed feeling when she said that. I told her we are doing many things besides dispensing. Things like TDM, TPN, clinical stuff, controlling stocks, counter checking prescriptions, providing drug information, monitored drug therapy for specific patients and etc.These are important... The doctor doesn't seems to listen. She just shrug her shoulder.
The public sees pharmacist = dispenser. They do now know what are the pharmacist doing. So are many doctors. They thought we are just taking "gaji buta" and sit there doing nothing. They do not see the importance of our job. Without pharmacist, many doctors' license will kena suspend... I am serious.
Healthcare professionals work as a team. The main purpose in the end of the day is to provide good patient care and let them recover from their illness asap.
Dispensing is crucial and it is part of patient care. Pharmacist prepare reliable medications and distribute them to patients, counseling patients about their prescription drugs and how to best use them. I think ensure that the patients are taking medication are as important as writing a precription.
Furthermore, in the ward, clinical pharmacists participate in drug selection, drug Regimen, develop and implement pharmaceutical therapeutic plans, document it and follow-up of outcomes... Since malaysia just start to have pharmacist ward round with doctors, I understand many doctors just cant get used to it. But just remember that we are not finding fault or try to challenge any decisions. We are just there to help. Lets us work hand in hand to provide a better healthcare service for the public.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire, one of the best movie I watched recently.
The story is about an 18 years old Indian boy. Jamar Malik, an orphan who grew up without proper education and lived in the slum area, won "Who wants to become the millionaire". The movie tells us his adventurous and sad childhood, and how he came to know all the answers in the game which arouse suspicions and led to the accusation of him cheating.
After watching this movie, I am glad that I am a normal people, not rich, not poor, never worry about will there be any food to eat tomorrow, can sleep comfortably every night, have eyes to see beautiful and ugly things in life, have parents who still treat me like chidren, having a good job and many great friends.
I used to say that our life are in our hand. However, as I grow older, I sort of believe that our destiny are somehow written. What we done in the past made the unique life we had today and what we did now affecting our future. Are we actually controlling our live or it is our live which control us?
Jamal Malik unfortunate life experiences coincidentally enabled him to know the answer to each question. It is like news last month regarding the pilot who saved the lives of the passangers. When you read about the history of the pilot, it is as if his whole life is preparing him to face the challenge in the plane crashed incident. Same case as Jamal Malik, where his whole childhood is preparing him to become a millionaire.
A great movie at the beginning of this not so good 2009. Strongly recommend to watch. Let us ignore our frog MP, pariah government, lowsy economy and all the unhappy events in life. Sees obstacle as opportunities and live life to the fullest.
The story is about an 18 years old Indian boy. Jamar Malik, an orphan who grew up without proper education and lived in the slum area, won "Who wants to become the millionaire". The movie tells us his adventurous and sad childhood, and how he came to know all the answers in the game which arouse suspicions and led to the accusation of him cheating.
After watching this movie, I am glad that I am a normal people, not rich, not poor, never worry about will there be any food to eat tomorrow, can sleep comfortably every night, have eyes to see beautiful and ugly things in life, have parents who still treat me like chidren, having a good job and many great friends.
I used to say that our life are in our hand. However, as I grow older, I sort of believe that our destiny are somehow written. What we done in the past made the unique life we had today and what we did now affecting our future. Are we actually controlling our live or it is our live which control us?
Jamal Malik unfortunate life experiences coincidentally enabled him to know the answer to each question. It is like news last month regarding the pilot who saved the lives of the passangers. When you read about the history of the pilot, it is as if his whole life is preparing him to face the challenge in the plane crashed incident. Same case as Jamal Malik, where his whole childhood is preparing him to become a millionaire.
A great movie at the beginning of this not so good 2009. Strongly recommend to watch. Let us ignore our frog MP, pariah government, lowsy economy and all the unhappy events in life. Sees obstacle as opportunities and live life to the fullest.
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