14
singapore he alth
JAN⁄ FEB 2012
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No refund for unused medicines I have a chronic heart problem and need medication regularly. The doctor prescribed a three-month supply of medication to last till my next visit. But as I began to feel more breathless, I called the centre for an earlier appointment. The doctor who saw me said I had to change medication, as the old one was no longer effective. Again, I was given a three-month supply. As I still had one month’s supply of the original medicines, which were stored according to instructions, I took them to the pharmacy, but was told they could not take them back. Why is this so? Someone else may benefit from it. - Mdm Ida Soh
The reason medication cannot be returned or refunded is because once it has left the pharmacy, we are not able to ensure it has been properly handled and stored. Therefore, we cannot guarantee other patients that the quality of the medication has not been compromised. At NHCS Pharmacy, we issue medication to many patients with different heart conditions every day. Each time we dispense medication, patients can be assured that it is safe and will help manage their condition. We cannot hand out “returned” or “recycled” medication as this may compromise patient safety.
All returned medication is destroyed. This is a standard practice across most public healthcare institutions. For patients who are prescribed new drugs or require dose changes, our doctors will monitor them closely and limit their collection to two weeks’ or one month’s supply. Our pharmacy, at the point of dispensing, will also routinely check with patients and advise them to collect their medication in instalments to reduce waste. In the event of an adverse drug reaction or allergy, our doctor will review the patient’s condition and we will make the necessary refund.
Tributes I went to the Geylang East Polyclinic for the first time as it is near where I work. Dr Siska Ferdina Taslim who attended to me was very careful and thorough with her examination, and had ordered more blood tests for me. Her style of consultation is much better than what I’ve experienced with private doctors. I am very pleased with the quality of service at the polyclinic and believe Singaporeans should be proud of having such excellent service. Also, the fees charged are very reasonable. - Ms Lee Eng Hee
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Singapore General Hospital Erik Prasetia How do I make an appointment for my mother? I want to consult a physician who can deal with breast cancer. Please help. Like · Comment · Sep 25 at 12.43am 5 people like this Singapore General Hospital Hi Erik, you may find out more about making an appointment at www.sgh.com.sg/patientservices/specialist-outpatient-services/pages/make-changeappointments.aspx. You can also find out more about breast cancer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=quhFSMQtMZE. Like · Comment · Oct 5 at 6.30pm
Maran Rko Hey! Is it possible to send greeting cards and flowers to patients in the wards? If so, what address can I use? Thanks :) Like · Comment · Oct 4 at 10.56pm 3 people like this Singapore General Hospital You may just indicate Patient’s Name, Block, Ward and Bed, and send them to Singapore General Hospital, S169608. Like · Comment · Oct 6 at 10.24am
Maran Rko Okies :) Thank you so so much! Like · Comment · Oct 6 at 11.23am
Unable to get through the hotline My wife called SGH’s Call Centre many times last Monday morning to reschedule her appointment for a medical followup, but was unable to get through. We are very sorry that your wife was not able to get her call through to SGH Central Appointments Call Centre at 6321-4377. Mondays and Tuesdays are the Centre’s peak days. On average, the Centre receives 4,600 to 5,000 calls on Mondays and Tuesdays, and some calls are unintentionally missed. We are training our call agents from the General Enquiries team to help out with the Central Appointments’ calls, but that could affect our ability to take calls for General Enquiries. We are monitoring the situation, and are trying very hard to reduce the number of missed calls for both hotlines. Patients can also change their appointments online at www.sgh.com.sg/ Patient-Services/Specialist-OutpatientSer vices/Pages/make-change-appointments.aspx, but a Singpass ID is needed. They can also email appointments@sgh. com.sg for an appointment change. They will receive a response within 24 hours.
I would like to say a big thank you to the doctors, nurses and other staff who took care of me when I stayed in SGH Ward 73 in October. In particular, I want to thank the nurses who gave me a scarf to cover my baldness, so I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable leaving the ward for a CT scan. They took care of me so well that I didn’t feel like I was a patient, but was a part of their family. The doctors constantly updated my parents and me about the status of my health. - Ms R Pang
I would like to commend Ms Edna Woo who took my call recently to find out if a family friend had been admitted to SGH. She was very professional and cheerful from the moment she picked up the call. I am impressed by her service and would like to compliment SGH for having such a great frontline service staff member. Please relay my compliments. Keep up the good work! - Ms T John
Annoyed by the repeated questions On the way to the operating room for surgery, hospital staff repeatedly asked for my name, NRIC and the type of procedure that I was scheduled for. My personal and medical data is already in the hospital file, but the same questions were asked in the ward and at the operating theatre. We have your medical records, but to guard against the possibility of oversight or error such as sending the wrong case file or incomplete medical records with the patient to the operating room, our staff will verify information, such as name, NRIC number, the kind
of surgery to be performed and confirmed consent for the correct surgery, at various points in the ward and operating theatre. They check the patient’s replies against the medical records and, as another precaution, mark the surgical site to avoid operating on the wrong part of the body. Active involvement and effective communication are important to avoid mistakes, with the patient playing an important role in ensuring his own safety. Members of the surgical team do a final verification just before the operation to ensure they are carrying out the right procedure, on the right part of the body, on the right person.