Student Exchange: UK (2010), US (2010), US (2012), USC (2014)
Student Exchange Programme 2010
School of Pharmacy, University of London
by Ms. YUEN Cheng Man, Amy
Introduction
“I have never imagined I can be in such a wonderful exchange programme before!” Time flies. The 3-week study trip to London from 6 Jun to 29 Jun, co-organized by the School of Pharmacy of the CUHK and the University of London, ended officially with overwhelming amount of rewards. Although the length of the trip was relatively short, the impact and exposure it brought to me was definitely enormous.
The study trip was basically divided into 3 weekly sections. The first two weeks included a variety of pharmacy-related activities and the last week was reserved for cultural exposure and city exploration.
Exposure to various health-care related issues
In the first week, Professor David Taylor from School of Pharmacy, the University of London had kindly arranged different visits and work for the two of us to familiarize ourselves with the pharmacy practice in the United Kingdom. Most of the time we helped in the research project on the role of pharmacist in smoking cessation programmes. But apart from the literature reviews and other paper work, we also got numerous chances to accompany professor to participate in meetings with different parties such as a general practitioner currently working on healthcare policy and an official from the Primary Care Trust (an organization under the National Health Service in the UK) in discussing healthcare issues. The highlight of all the activities we had joined was undoubtedly the debate held in the Parliament on the subject of Health Innovation. This debate was definitely an eye-opener to me. Everyone was keen on expressing their opinions on improvement of the current healthcare system in the UK and listening to all these voices enhanced my understanding on the complicated system there and the ways in which future development may proceed.
Clinical Pharmacy Experience
The second part mainly focused on clinical pharmacy practice in the UK. The hospital we worked in was the Royal Free Hampstead Hospital, which is a subsidiary under the National Health Service Trust. The hospital is one of the most advanced hospitals in London, which plays a leading role in many pioneering research projects and specialist services such as organ transplantation. Considering its comprehensive service provision, the pharmacy in the hospital should inevitably be facing a heavy workload. Yet, with the skilful application of automation in dispensing and the establishment of satellite pharmacies, the work can be shared and processed efficiently.
With the kind arrangement by Mr. John Farrell, the Director of Pharmacy Service of the Royal Free Hospital, we were so honoured to have a 1-week placement opportunity at the hospital. Throughout the week, we had the chance to participate in morning ward rounds with different clinical pharmacists and had a taste of their daily duties. In the wards, I observed some differences between London and Hong Kong. Pharmacy services in London focused more on direct patient care. Every day, the pharmacists will review the drug charts of individual patients in person and check if any new drug is indicated. Then, they will counsel the patient face-to-face and ensure they know what the medication is, what it is for and how it is administered. In Hong Kong, it is not as common for pharmacists to take the initiative to talk to patients in the wards. Another interesting finding is that patients in London are more knowledgeable about the medications they received. They know not only the dosage and the appearance of the drugs, but also their actual names and their uses. Besides, they trust the pharmacists and good rapport are developed between them and the pharmacists. Back in Hong Kong, patients generally understand which pill they need to take at what time, but it is rare for them to learn about the names of the drugs. Also, the status of pharmacists in our community is not as prestigious as that in London. Thus, extra effort is indeed necessary to bring about the change in our role.
On top of the ward visits, what amazed us most was the advanced technology used inside the pharmacy. Because of the large workload as mentioned previously, the Royal Free Hospital was one of the first branches that had implemented robotic dispensing in London. The automation in dispensing was achieved by a robot system known as “ROWA”, which comprises a stock cupboard, a computer programme and pieces of robotic equipment. After a drug item is procured and recorded in the computer system, the programme will assign a particular position in the cupboard for that item and the robotic hand will then put it in the corresponding place in the stock cupboard. When that item is being requested, the robot can recall the data and collect it from the exact storing position on the shelf and transport it out for use. The pharmacist can check the item for its appropriateness and issue the medication. This advanced technology allows a more efficient and accurate way of dispensing and saves much manpower in doing the routine drug picking work. The application of such technology may be a potential direction of pharmacy service development as this can possibly reduce the time pharmacists spend in dispensing and so concentrate more on patient care.
Inspiration for Hong Kong Community Pharmacy Development
In the third week, we visited Dermacia, a community pharmacy in London. This is one that is operated by a Hong Kong pharmacist, Mr Dennis Fong. To our surprise, the pharmacy provides not only dispensing services and health supplements sales, but also various clinical checks, acupuncture, private clinic service and even beauty services. In the UK, most patients will have their prescriptions dispensed at a community pharmacy, contrary to the situation in Hong Kong. Therefore, the pharmacy there is generally well equipped with a comprehensive computer system that contains full patient records and inventory control to facilitate the dispensing service. This may serve as a guide for future Hong Kong community pharmacy development when separation between prescribing and dispensing is being practised.
Cultural and Scenic Exploration
To end our study trip, the most perfect way was definitely explore various historical icons in London and enjoy the stunning views. Visiting the fantastic landmarks like the House of Parliament, the Big Ben, the London Eye…etc and experiencing the friendliness of English people surely left me with a good impression of London.
Conclusion
All in all, the trip was no doubt a fruitful and unforgettable experience for me. All the brand new things in London, especially the clinical pharmacy discoveries are inspiring and certainly give me insight on how pharmacy practice may evolve to enhance the quality of services we, as future pharmacists, can provide. These observations also broaden my horizons in perceiving the possible roles of pharmacists in the future.
Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the professors of the two Schools and people who kindly dedicated their time and effort in guiding us. This programme would not be so successful without all your support.