Sharing Professional Experience
Private Hospital Pharmacist
by Ms. Candy Tong

Throughout the year, we would hold a number of activities to enhance communication among undergraduates in different years and eventually unite the School as a whole. In addition, ‘Pharminent’ would actively seek for opportunities to cooperate with external pharmacist bodies to promote the positive image of the profession in and outside the university.

Well, it has been already two years since I graduated. I’m proud of myself for having chosen to make pharmacy my life career, and I’m really grateful for the teaching that helped transform a 20 year old girl into a professional and ethical career woman.

I chose to work in the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital (HKSH) because I love the special challenges of being a pharmacist in a private hospital.

In the first place, the HKSH pharmacy stocks around 4,000 items, including many drug products I had never met before. Many newly launched drugs find their way to our pharmacy so we have to make ourselves familiar with them ready for all sorts of enquiries. Another challenge for me is that we have to dispense dressings, medical products like ileostomy bags, and nutritional products, but I find that I thrive on such new tests of my skills.

Next, there are only 14 pharmacists in HKSH, so all of us have a share in the management and development of our pharmacy. This is quite different from the practice in Hospital Authority facilities, and I truly believe that any pharmacist who likes to think and enjoy speaking his/her mind should consider joining a private hospital.

Finally, since there are no in-house doctors staying on the wards, the nurses regularly turn to us to help solve problems regarding pharmaceutical products—we receive around 80 phone calls from them every day.

I hope my picture of life in a private hospital pharmacy will intrigue and inspire any student who rates challenges above routine work. Why not come and join me when you graduate?