Last semester break, I was required to do a posting at any community pharmacy in my hometown area. This is a requirement from my university for all Pharmacy students. We need to learn about the management of a community pharmacy. I had choosen Perdana Pharmacy which is located just near Sultan Muhammad IV stadium at Kota Bharu. These are my experiences during my 10 days posting...
Date : 20 April 2008
Day : Sunday
Today is my first day doing posting at Perdana Pharmacy. I went there by driving my mom’s car. The pharmacy situated about 10km from my house. While arriving at the pharmacy, I met Pn. Rozana, the owner as well as the pharmacist there. She’s already known that I will do my posting at her pharmacy and she welcoming me to do so. I just called her Kak Na. However, she had to go out since she had something to do. She introduced me to her staffs and asked them to tell me about the management of Perdana Pharmacy. Upon arriving, the staffs were busy packaging the medicines and medical equipments to be sent to the hospitals those ordered the medicines from the pharmacy.
There are 4 staffs working there; 3 females and 1 male. Today I just chatted with the staff in order to know each other and get general information about the pharmacy. I also observed the shop layout and poison drug record book. I sat at the prescription counter and observed the way the staffs deal with customers and so on. Not so many customers came here today. Then, sad to say, I enabled to meet the pharmacist for the whole day. She did not come back to the pharmacy because she had to settle her works out there.
Date : 21 April 2008
Day : Monday
Today, I planned to meet the pharmacist and learnt about licensing. When I arrived at there, her staff told me that she did not come yet. So, I just waited for her and get the breakfast. In a meantime, I took the opportunities to ask the staff about staffing development and management of Perdana Pharmacy. I also learnt and tried to remember certain drugs available in the pharmacy.
During lunch hour, more customers entered the pharmacy. Most of them were looking for the OTC drugs such as painkiller, vitamins, supplements and so on. Since this pharmacy located just near the stadium and hockey field, most of the regular customers are athletes. They will come to the pharmacy to get medicines if they had injury. Again, I couldn’t meet the pharmacist today because she had some family matters and did not come to the pharmacy. I went back home with a little bit disappointed.
Date : 22 April 2008
Day : Tuesday
Early in the morning, the pharmacist called me and said that she was requested by a private Hospital to check the stock of drugs since there has no pharmacist. She had to go there every Monday and Thursday. Then, she invited me to join her. I was glad to do so and grab the opportunities to join her. I was eager to have an experience entering the hospital’s drug store.
While arriving at the hospital, she introduced me to the manager and explained to her that I was doing posting at her pharmacy. After that, we entered the drug store. There are two staffs that are responsible to manage all drugs available in the store. I felt pleasure and exciting while looking at the number of drugs arranged on the shelves. At first, I just listened to the explanation given by the pharmacist to that staffs regarding the way to arrange the drugs. She said that it is better to arrange the drugs according to the classification from the MIMS. So, I helped the staff listed down the drugs according to their classes so that it will be easier to arrange them soon. At the same time, I was able to know a lot of new drugs which I have never seen before. We stopped doing that at lunch hour. After that, I had lunch with her at the restaurant. I felt so happy for the new experience today.
Date : 23 April 2008
Day : Wednesday
As usual, I arrived at the pharmacy in the morning and get my breakfast. After that, I helped other staff arranging the goods on the shelves nicely. I sat at the prescription counter looking at the locked cabinet of poison drugs and try to remember their names. I jotted down the name of the drugs and their functions in my notebook.
Then, I asked permission from a staff to see the poison drugs record book. She explained to me that all registered product bought by customers have to be recorded in this book. If the enforcement coming, they will check this book and inspect whether the quantity written in this book correct or not. So, they will count the quantity of drugs left in the cabinet. If they found even a drug missing, they can take an action towards the pharmacist. Therefore, to avoid any problems, a staff is responsible to ensure all the registered products are fully recorded and regularly checking the book.
After the pharmacist arrived, I requested from her to see all the licenses. Then, she explained about the licenses needed to open a retail pharmacy. Today, I know a lot about licensing and wrote all the information in the report.
Date : 24 April 2008
Day : Thursday
Again, the pharmacist invited me to join her went to the Hospital. Of course, I felt so happy and excited to go there. I helped her arranging the drugs on the shelves. She explained to me how to arrange the medicines nicely as well as easy to find and take the drugs needed. While doing the job, she told me her experience working as a pharmacist for 10 years and the problems she faced before having her own pharmacy. She gave me some advices and encouragements. I got courage to struggle myself in order to succeed like her. I also get to know many drugs from her. At the same time, I took this opportunity to ask her about the management of her pharmacy such as the financial management and client services.
Date : 26 April 2008
Day : Saturday
I had been told by the pharmacist that she had to go outstation for 2 days. Therefore, I just go to the pharmacist and take a look what I can do today. Besides doing the routine jobs, I continued drafting my report and asked the staffs if there is something I want to know. Before this, the pharmacist had told me to ask anything I need to know from her staffs because she rarely be at the pharmacy. I also jotted down the external preparations available in the pharmacy including their generic name and the indications.
Date : 27 April 2008
Day : Sunday
My routine today is quiet similar with yesterday. However, today I got a chance to learn the procedures needed to deliver drugs which had been ordered by the hospital. I helped the staffs packing the medicines in the box and put the injections fluid in the cold box. After that, I continued doing the list of external preparations and went back home at the evening.
Date : 28 April 2008
Day : Monday
Today I helped the staffs arranged new drugs that was just received from other companies. I also saw how to give price for the products. She calculated the profit margin as well as compared with the market price. Prices for some products have to be increased since the cost was also increased. Then, the products were labeled according to their classes by giving their own codes. After that, I saw some documents belonged by Perdana Pharmacy such as bills, purchase order, quotation, invoice and so on.
Date : 29 April 2008
Day : Tuesday
I worked as usual today. Doing the same jobs as before, helped the staffs, and completed my reports, jotted down the name of drugs and so on. Besides that, I asked the pharmacists all the particulars needed for my report. I try to complete all the information needed because tomorrow is my last day posting at here.
Date : 30 April 2008
Day : Wednesday
Today is my last day. I handed the evaluation form to the pharmacist. I left the form to her so that she had more times to evaluate my job. I also gave her a souvenir as an appreciation for all knowledge that she had given and helped me a lot. She invited me to do next posting at her pharmacy again and do not hesitate to come to her pharmacy anytime. I went back home earlier today and felt very happy because finally I had finished my two weeks posting. A lot of new things i had learned and got a memorable experience.
-copy paste from my journal that i had submitted to my lecturer =)
