Theory in Practice

Introduction

Learning often cycles between simplicity and complexity.

• During high school, we learned that cell is the simplest unit of life, yet we may not know how each organelle inside the cell functions.
• Only in university, we were further introduced with the concept of GPCR pathway, Krebs cycle, action potential in neurons and many mores.
• Ironically, after learning all these, we are back to simplicity in educating the public when working as a pharmacist.

Only now, we realise, as simple as it seems, it is far more complex internally.

The Clashing Ideals

We often encounter conflicting pieces of advice in life:

• Keep striving or know when to let go
• Work hard for success or accept the world's randomness.

Each nugget of wisdom feels selectively chosen, tailored to a specific narrative.

Similarly, I see the "customer is always right" mantra as a customer-please strategy, not a universal truth.

• It does not automatically make unreasonable or demanding individuals universally correct.
• Most organisations offer channels for customers complaints against staff, but not the other way round.
• Yet, some complains stem from unmet expectations, such as VIP treatment, special discounts, or unwillingness to follow established protocols.
• A mutual respect should be established between customers and staff to foster a positive environment. After all, we all play both roles at different times.

Practicing at Pharmacy

In essence, life is not ideal, but a struggle.

When we are learning disease management in university, often we are learning disease by disease.

• The clinical questions in examination also had a typical presentation with clear-cut answers.

However, an actual patient could have multiple comorbidities and on polypharmacy, yet they could be not compliant to the medication.

• Some patients even act as a self-prescriber (without a proper medical degree).
• Human is the biggest variance in lots of cases, because of their beliefs and cultures.

Moreover, when a customer asks for your expert advice, a pharmacist should not just tell customers what might help, but to show them actual products available on the market and explain which one might be best for them.

• Pharmacists need to consider the patient's individual circumstances and provide holistic advice that goes beyond textbook knowledge.

Bridging the Gap

It is often easy to acknowledge a thought, but to implement it with 100% compliance is a different story.

• It is like the difference between knowing you should exercise regularly and actually hitting the gym every day.

Hence, stop being idealistic and expect all process will proceed according to the planning.

• The management team should have tried their best to expect the unexpected and consider the struggle in daily work of ground-floor workers.
• When unforeseen issues arise, the management team should proactively develop a proper and practical solution, instead of dwelling on blame.

Summary

As a junior pharmacist, I also wonder if once I senior enough to be at management level, will I lose the sense of touch too?