PHARMACIES IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for Health (a) how many pharmacies are operating in the government hospitals; (b) whether they are adequately staffed with qualified personnel; (c) how many of these pharmacies are operating outside office hours; and (d) whether there are plans to expand these night pharmacies, particularly those in the Accident and Emergency units, in the interest of the public.

Mr Howe Yoon Chong: Mr Speaker, Sir, there is a pharmacy in each of the nine Government hospitals. Three other smaller hospitals which do not have a pharmacy of their own obtain their drugs from the pharmacy at a nearby hospital or at an outpatient clinic.

Each pharmacy is staffed with one or more qualified Pharmacists, depending on the size of the hospital. They are assisted by trained Dispensing Assistants.

Two of the nine pharmacies operate beyond normal office hours. One in the Singapore General Hospital which works from 7 am to 7 pm daily. After 7 pm, a skeleton staff from the pharmacy is stationed at the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department where pre-packed medicine is issued. The other pharmacy with extended hours is at Toa Payoh Hospital which is open daily from 8 am to 6 pm.

There are no immediate plans to expand night pharmacies. Present practice is to stock all the A&E Departments with commonly prescribed pre-packed medications for use when the pharmacies are closed. At the Singapore General Hospital A&E Department, any emergency case requiring a drug outside the pre-packed range will have to be supplied by the main pharmacy. In the other hospitals, A&E cases requiring certain drugs urgently outside office hours will obtain such supplies from the wards. All acute hospitals stock sufficient supplies of medicines in the wards and Intensive Care Units for emergency purposes. There is a pharmacist on call all the time. The pharmacist oncall can still be summoned if necessary. One pharmacist is on-call every night. These arrangements have served the needs of the hospitals adequately. There is therefore no necessity for the Ministry to expand night pharmacies at the A&E Departments.