Applications for pharmacy specialist accreditation start 1 Oct

SINGAPORE: From 1 October, the Pharmacy Specialist Accreditation Board (PSAB), will begin accepting applications for specialist accreditation.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong announced this at the Singapore Pharmacy Congress on Saturday.

Pharmacists can apply to specialise in five areas of research, including oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, psychiatry and geriatrics.

Wendy Ang, who is applying for Geriatrics pharmacist specialist, said: "The accreditation is a form of acknowledgment for pharmacists who have been working in the clinical field, it also acts as a form of quality assurance for the public that there is a recognition that healthcare has become more complex."

Lim Siew Woon, who is applying for Oncology pharmacist specialist, said: "It actually help to develop a new career path for clinical pharmacist. It will certainly encourage the pharmacists to move towards specialisation."

The 13—member Pharmacy Specialist Accreditation Board which was set up in February will look at the applicant’s certification, years of experience and portfolio in the selection process.

The board will take eight weeks to process the accreditation.

About 20 specialists will be accredited each year.

Chairperson of PSAB, Lita Chew, said: "The profession has reached certain maturity and we have enough mass as well now that the number of pharmacists who are recognised as advanced practitioner with the specialist qualification.

"The changing landscape, the ageing population, the complex therapy, the new drugs that are coming out are a lot more challenging than before is important to assure that we have a pipeline to continue to produce the pharmacists that we need to serve the public."

Separately, a pharmaceutical support programme will be rolled out to more nursing homes following a successful one—year pilot.

Under the programme, pharmacists would review residents’ medication, administration and medication management in nursing homes and train staff in managing medication for their residents.

The nursing homes that took part in the pilot were St. Theresa’s Home, Society for the Aged Sick, Tai Pei Social Service, Sree Narayana Mission Home for the Aged Sick, Jamiyah Nursing Home and Moral Home for the Aged Sick.

To date, a total of 50 nurses and healthcare assistants have attended the training in November 2011 and February 2012.

— CNA/ck