SPEECH BY PROFESSOR KENNETH MAK, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT THE 33RD SINGAPORE PHARMACY CONGRESS, 5 OCTOBER 2024

Mr Kevin Ben Laurence, Chairperson, 33rd Singapore Pharmacy Congress Organising Committee, Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore

Dr Vivianne Shih, President, Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore 

Associate Professor Camilla Wong, Chief Pharmacist, Ministry of Health (MOH)

Distinguished guests and speakers, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. 

1. It gives me great pleasure to be with you today at the 33rd Singapore Pharmacy Congress. I would also like to take the opportunity to warmly welcome our distinguished overseas speakers and delegates to Singapore. 

2. The theme of this year’s congress is “Interlacing Health: Weaving the Future of Pharmacy”. It highlights the complexity of the current healthcare landscape and the need for the various healthcare professionals to work together, each providing their expertise. Through collaboration as a healthcare team, pharmacists can weave the care for patients to achieve holistic care and optimal health outcomes for patients. 

Reshaping the Healthcare Landscape and the Evolving Roles of Pharmacists 

3. Pharmacists have always played a key role in providing care in the community. Within community based pharmacies, pharmacists have provided medication counselling when dispensing prescriptions to the public. They have provided health screening and advised those found to have abnormal results to seek care from a doctor. Pharmacists can also provide smoking cessation counselling services. Going forward, and in line with anchoring care within the community, there are now more opportunities for the role of pharmacists to evolve further. 

4. Since 1 April 2024, our public acute hospitals have implemented the Mobile Inpatient Care at Home service, also known as MIC@Home. This care model allows patients with acute care needs to receive similar care at home as that delivered in the hospital. This ultimately makes more hospital beds available for more sick patients to be admitted for treatment. The programme enhances patient satisfaction as patients can now receive care within familiar surroundings at home. A multi-disciplinary team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals provides regular home reviews and delivers appropriate care based on the patient’s needs. Pharmacists work as part of the MIC@Home healthcare team to provide patients at home with the appropriate pharmaceutical care. This may include advising fellow team members on the medications to be prescribed and conduct medication reconciliation as needed. They may also work with the community nurses to train home caregivers to help make sure that patients take their medications correctly at home. 

Pushing Frontiers in Practice and Science 

5. In Singapore, we are fortunate to be part of a healthcare system that values innovation and excellence. We constantly seek to push the frontiers in practice or science. Pharmacogenomics is one such arena that holds immense potential. Its clinical implementation in our hospitals has allowed us to tailor treatments to the individual genetic profiles of patients, which minimises undesirable adverse drug reactions. Our pharmacists play a key role in the initiation as well as the interpretation of these tests. One such example is the Pre-emptive Pharmacogenomics Programme at the National University Hospital. This Clinical Implementation Project has now expanded to the other public healthcare institutions and specialty centres. We look forward to the implementation of pharmacogenomics in primary care and for pharmacists to play an active role in this transformation of care delivery.

Interlacing Health Through Digitalisation and Technology 

6. Digitalisation is an integral part in today’s healthcare landscape. Traditionally, pharmacists have contributed significantly to the development of our healthcare informatics infrastructure particularly in the areas involving prescriptions and medication information. Beyond that, pharmacists in Singapore have also begun exploring how technology can be harnessed to enhance patient outcomes. In this area, SingHealth Pharmacy is partnering with SingHealth Artificial Intelligence (AI) Office to co-develop solutions to improve medication adherence using AI and blockchain technologies. These solutions aim to promote medication adherence and safety though tracking, remote monitoring and personalised reminders to benefit patients and facilitate healthcare providers’ care. 

7. Another upcoming initiative from the National Healthcare Group, MedVid, is looking to transform the way pharmacists deliver medication counselling to patients and caregivers through pharmacist avatars and engaging video content. The avatars are multilingual and can communicate in any of the four official languages of Singapore. This initiative, which is undergoing proof of viability study, hopes to empower people by enhancing their understanding of medical information.

Achieving Value-Based Healthcare and Health 

8. In the current healthcare landscape, I am heartened to know that pharmacists are increasingly seen as an integrated member in the inter-disciplinary teams. In fact, pharmacists are already playing an advanced role in ensuring appropriate pharmaceutical care across care settings through the Collaborative Practitioner Prescribing Programme (CP3). As of September 2024, I am pleased to share that there are 136 CPPs providing care in various settings and disciplines, optimising health outcomes and achieving value-based healthcare. 

9. I would also like to highlight other public-private partnerships that pharmacists have forged with other healthcare providers to deliver better care. NUHS Pharmacy collaborated with Frontier Family Medicine Clinic since January 2024 to provide clinical pharmacy services, including medication reconciliation, anticoagulation and smoking cessation to their patients. 

10. Through such personalised services, clinical pharmacists have helped patients in the community optimise chronic disease control, improve medication adherence and resolve drug-related problems. We look forward to the continued evolution of pharmacists’ partnerships in line with MOH’s aim of anchoring care in the community and improve health outcomes of the population. 

Igniting Passion and Developing Future Leaders 

11. While we advance as a profession and navigate the complex healthcare environment, it is pertinent that we continue to engage the pharmacy workforce and to nurture and grow future leaders. 

12. Since its release in May 2020, the Development Framework for Pharmacist (DFP) has served as a guide for systematic advancement across various pharmacy practice settings. Subsequently, the Singapore Pharmacy Council enhanced the Pre-Registration Training and Assessment Framework to align with the DFP, ensuring newly registered pharmacists commence their careers with a robust foundation. Earlier this year, the DFP underwent revision, offering updated evidence examples, reflecting an expanded scope of practice across the domains in line with healthcare system shifts, and emphasising leadership competencies for pharmacists. 

13. Additionally, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Pharmacy Leadership Development Strategy as part of the PharmForce initiative. The pharmacy profession has expanded to encompass a wider range of responsibilities, including clinical and leadership roles. Specific attributes and skillsets, whether for leading self or supporting others, will be needed to effectively manage these diverse roles within and beyond the pharmacy workforce. The Pharmacy Leadership Development Strategy aims to outline a structured approach where pharmacists can be better equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead of them. 

14. Chief Pharmacist will share more on the Pharmacy Leadership Development Strategy during her plenary lecture.

Upskilling Pharmacy Support Workforce

15. Pharmacy technicians play a vital role in the healthcare system, working alongside pharmacists to ensure safe and effective medication management. Recognising their crucial role, the training and development of our pharmacy technician workforce are prioritised. In August this year, MOH launched the inaugural Training Roadmap for Pharmacy Technicians in Pharmacy Services. This structured programme aims to equip our pharmacy technicians with essential knowledge and skills in pharmacy services, supporting their career progression systematically. This achievement stems from the continued leadership and commitment of our pharmacy leaders like yourselves. We remain dedicated in partnering with you to progressively develop our pharmacy workforce.

Closing

16. In summary, we see the rich tapestry for the future of pharmacy. Nonetheless, it is crucial for us to be able to weave these initiatives together through evolving roles, partnerships, innovation and workforce development. Together, they would make our healthcare system stronger and more resilient to face the challenges ahead. 

17. The 33rd Singapore Pharmacy Congress provides an excellent platform for us to strengthen connections, share our knowledge, and work together to interlace health and weave the future of pharmacy. As we move forward, let us keep in mind our common goal: to deliver value-based care that improves the lives of the people we serve, here in Singapore and around the world.

18. I wish you all a productive and enriching congress. Thank you.