Had a conversation with one of my coursemates, Tw days ago. He shared his feeling of loss and bleakness towards his current study and future.
I believe that this thought came from his working experience in the community pharmacy back in July. I heard from him that he was shocked to see the community pharmacy nowadays was business-oriented, and those code of ethics was barely held. Medicines were sold when the pharmacist in charge was not around, and antibiotics can be easily purchased even without a prescription etc. All these summed up his working experience in the community pharmacy. The thing we learnt in the BPharm was not applied, yet it seems to be more on the business side.
To me, I feel the same.
Reality is always different from what we perceive. Do you really think a community pharmacy survives with the sale of medicine?
Surely not.
Apart from medicine selling, a pharmacist would always encourages his/her customers to have supplements as an add-on for their well-being and to boost their health. (They will not force but to encourage them to)
But, I don’t really believe in this.
If we have a balanced diet, do we still need those supplements to “boost our health”? A probiotics capsule? Can’t your gut make enough probiotics for you? As I can’t even convince myself on the supplement intake and how should I convince my customers to purchase them?
I wonder.
On the other hand, as a young adult, I understand that money doesn't rule our mind, but it does rule the world. (If you don't agree with me, I will then say that it rules to a certain extend.)
Thus, for a community pharmacy to survive, it does not wholly depend on the medicine but your good services, sales of supplement where your margin comes etc.
And, after my 4 years of BPharm study, will I stay in a hospital or 'klinic kesihatan' to start my journey as a clinical pharmacist to have a settled way of life?
Or will I have a community pharmacy as my parents wished where customers come in and ask for a strip of Panadol? Am I then write as 2 tablets 3 times daily on the medicine packaging and remind the customer to take it after food?
Or will I be brave enough to jump out this cycle and run away from this norm?
Time is the wisest counselor of all.
Hopefully by the time comes, it will be crystal clear.
Ps:// There’s something worth mentioning as well from the conversation I had with Tw (my batchmate) apart from the pharmacy side.
He mentioned that he always looks up to me as someone rational, sensible and a girl who always steadily hold her ground in every situation.
It is a bit flattering, aren’t they?
In fact, I do panic and I do have a mental breakdown from time to time just that I don’t act them out.
Hmmm, I guess it goes as fake it until you make it.
:)
West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
I remember when I was there, the lake was so peaceful and statue still and all my troubles seem to fade away with the air.
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