How Humbling

15 August 2005

Not even two weeks into this job and I have decided that I shall return to retail. Am now making plans to find a 5-day retail job (or one with very flexible hours as I had during my Guardian locum stint, but with added perks such as public holidays and annual leaves) but this time in the independant sector. I guess what I mean by the independant sector is 'them who will administer to the needs of the public in need of prescription drugs in absence of a (valid) prescription', or in simpler terms, 'non-Guardian'.

It's sad how our Malaysian pharmacy practise works in reality, because it shows how much we are at the mercy of the customer/patients at times. I am actually sick of people coming in to ask for some hypertensive of other Group B (prescription-controlled) drug and then nicely telling me, "Since when there's such a law!" when I tell them that they couldn't get it without a prescription. Hello? Who's the pharmacist? However, Guardian is one such company who's able to survive on Group C drugs (UH and Jaya Shopping Centre being exceptions) as it makes moolah on so much other products. Watsons on the other hand only has a handful of stores which are actually pharmacies, so survival for them doesn't really depend on sale of drugs.

But for the other pharmacies, the independantly-owned, the small-chains, survival depends on being able to attend to prescriptionless customers and engage in the art of haggling. The Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society has time and time again urged for pharmacies all over to stop the 'price wars' and go for quality service ie. professionalism. Hey, I think professionalism is already there, but some people are just not interested if it's still expensive.

Enough ranting. My point being, in order for me to ever open my own pharmacy (my eye-opener was jumping into sales, deeming a future in sales is never long-term, and having a pharmacy only when I retire rather too late) I will need the experience necessary to survive the Malaysian setting. So no point going back to Guardian except for the hecticness found in big shopping malls as well as the admittedly large connection of pharmacists and staff whom end up being friends and fun company. I'm trying not to be aimless in life already. So at least get a good goal.