Following my recent blog re-post on “Doctor, I’m confused… Which pharmacy career should I choose?“, Capt. M. S. Gill informed me that there is another interesting option that you can consider in planning your pharmacy career. Working as a Military Pharmacist!
Capt. M. S. Gill is a Military Pharmacist Officer attached to Hospital Angkatan Tentera Tuanku Mizan (HATTM, @HAT_TuankuMizan). From him, I received an email, in which he shared an excellent write-up about Military Pharmacist as a career option.
Do you want to know more? Read on…
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1. Royal Medical & Dental Corps (RMDC), a brief introduction
2. What is Military Pharmacy?
Military Pharmacy (MilPharm) is a professional and challenging career in ensuring military readiness and maintaining fighting strength of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) from medical and pharmacologistics support [1] to pharmaceutical care.
Vision
- To become the most elite Pharmaceutical and Medical Logistics (Pharma MedLog) officers providing the best and safest care to the MAF in support of military operations anywhere in the world.
- Through partnership with all clients, stakeholders, actors in the pharma supply chains, government authorities/agencies & non-government interest group as part of the overall nation building collaborative effort.
Mission
To ensure military readiness and conserve the fighting strength of the MAF in war time, and in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW).
Goals
To achieve 8 + 2 Shariah Compliant High Performance Pharmacy Practice
3. What do Military Pharmacists do?
Led by Brigadier General Dato’ Dr A. Halim bin Hj Basari, he has played a vital role in the RMDC of MAF. The RMDC provides healthcare services during peace or wartime, maintaining the fighting strength and medical care to the military personnel and civilians.
Military pharmacists (MilRPh) of the RMDC have achieved great stride. Among the honourable MilRPh services rendered are in military Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) and in Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) missions. Some noteworthy involvements of MilRPh are listed below:
- the earthquake HADR in Battagram, Pakistan.
- the Haiyan Typhoon HADR in Tacloban, Philippines (2005).
- the big flood HADR in Manek Urai, Kelantan, Malaysia (2013).
- 2014 and recently in Malaysian Field Hospital for Rohingya Refugees HADR, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
All PKOs were sent with Pharmacy Technologists on board.
Check out the photos of the Military Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technologist out in the field providing services to the victims and survivors of natural disasters.
Top row | Left image: Col Mohd Adlan, Military Pharmacist in charge was counselling a mother on her daughter’s medications. They were Typhoon Haiyan survivors in Tacloban, Philippines (2013). Middle: Military Pharmacy Technologist was dispensing medications to a victim of a heavy flood in Kelantan during 2014-2015. Right image: Lt Col Mohd Azrizal, Military Pharmacist in charge, was assisting a mother administering medication to her daughter with the assistance of a translator.
Bottom image: Capt Manvikram Singh Gill counseling a patient. He also managed the Pharmaceutical & Medical Logistics (Pharma MedLog) services of Malaysian Field Hospital for Rohingya Refugees, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
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4. Achievements of Military Pharmacy
MilPharm are actively involved in quality, innovation and transformation projects. Some of the projects are highlighted below:
- won renowned awards for its water filtration project (JERNIH) – 3rd placing for Anugerah Inovasi Perdana Menteri 2016 and champions of many international competitions.
- created the BERKAT Transformation Centre (BTC) which contested for the Anugerah Inovasi Pengurusan Kewangan 2017.
- invented the Shariah Compliant Pharmacy Practice (SCPP) programs that transformed its medical logistics and supply chain management.
- become global halal pharmaceutical advocators and pioneers of pharmaceutical technology in Malaysia by bringing in the first and only Pharmaself Automated Dispensing Unit (PADU24), which automates medicines dispensing at the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital (TMAFH), Kuala Lumpur.
- TMAFH is also one of the three recognised training centres for provisional registered pharmacists (PRP) who join RMDC upon graduation.
Wow! So interesting. If only I knew about Military Pharmacy career option 20 years earlier…
I’ve mentioned in my blog post that I realised that working in a shop wasn’t really for me. Even if it looks nice from the outside, with my own pharmacy counter under the bright lights. I felt my grey cells would slowly die off, one-by-one, if I had continued working in a retail pharmacy.
I reckon as a Military Pharmacist, one has ample opportunities to not only be of service to the Malaysian Army and Malaysians, but also helping and supporting vulnerable people in disaster-stricken or crisis areas [2].
It may not be for everyone, but seems great for those aspiring pharmacists who are as fit as a fiddle and infected with travel bugs. Ideally, a military pharmacy could be a fulfilling career path for those who always carry a heart of gold wherever they are in the world. And bravehearts 😎
Do you think you’re a good fit? If interested, please contact:
Malaysian Armed Forces Headquarters
Health Services Division
Ministry of Defence
12th Floor, PTPTN Tower
Megan Avenue II
Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450 KUALA LUMPUR
Puan Zana (PA): 03-21753010
Email: zanabpk@gmail.com
[1] Pharmacologistic support: This is a new word to me. It seems to combine 2 root words i.e. pharmacology and logistic. If you search for this word in Google, it returns few hits. What I surmise from the root word combination, in the context of military pharmacy practice would be: a service that ensures access and delivery of medicines to patients in emergency situations, anywhere in the world.
[2] International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), through its Pharmacy Emergency Management Working Group, has disseminated a 2016 Guidelines for Pharmacy, Responding to Disasters. Learn more about the expected roles of pharmacists involved in helping populations in such areas.
[3] Disclaimer: The write-up and photos from Capt. M. S. Gill are included here with some minor edits. The edits are, firstly, to make things clearer or more interesting/relevant to readers. And secondly, to make the document more suitable as a blog post. I receive no financial support from the Malaysian Armed Forces for this blog post. The intention of mine is to share this MilPharm as a pharmacy career option for my students and any future pharmacists out there to work in Malaysia.
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