Passing The Torch

Introduction

This week marked the retirement of a senior pharmacy assistant at my facility.

• While these professionals may not always be the clinical experts you seek for complex drug information, they form the essential backbone of our administrative operations.
• Their work often happens silently in the background, yet it encompasses everything that keeps the department’s junior pharmacy assistants running smoothly: shift arrangements, attendance monitoring, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) tracking, asset management, and staff reshuffling.
• As he prepared to depart, he handed over his daily responsibilities to two other senior assistants - both of whom are set to retire next year.

The reality of healthcare administration often lies beneath the surface.

• The longer we remain at a facility, the more we accumulate "invisible" responsibilities until the workload becomes deceptively heavy.

From Independence to Mentorship

In our early years, we are eager to learn and take on as much as possible. However, as we age, our focus must shift.

• It is no longer about proving our independence or skillful execution; it is about grooming the younger generation to take the lead.
• We will all retire one day, and our legacy depends on how well we prepare those who follow.

A senior pharmacist once told me that over the years, many colleagues have transferred to other facilities, but due to poor handovers, established management policies and essential forms slowly faded into nonexistence.

• This leaves the remaining team to struggle, forced to reinvent the wheel and rebuild systems from scratch.
• To ensure long-term stability, unit heads must have a comprehensive view of these "undercurrent" tasks.

This experience made me realize why workflows must be documented in departmental policies - so they can survive across generations.

• Unfortunately, the reality is that many of us never even look at these documents when we are juniors.
• By the time we reach seniority, we are often too consumed by the struggle of daily tasks to find the time to update them.

The Logic Between the Lines

During a recent conversation, I brought up a technical question regarding thermometer verification that had been on my mind.

• Our master calibrated thermometer’s certificate is set to expire in two weeks. I wondered: Should we continue using it to verify the thermometers currently in use in the wards?

He explained that each year, we purchase a new set of thermometers and send them for calibration.

• Since the validity lasts for one year, it is technically legitimate to use them for verification right up until the expiration date.
• Verification isn't a single point in time; different wards receive new thermometers at different times, and their 6-month verification cycle begins from that specific start date post verification of each device.
• According to ISO policies, wards must always use a thermometer with a valid verification; using one with a void or expired certificate is not permitted. Therefore, it is essential that we continue using the calibrated thermometer - even as it nears its expiry - to ensure all ward equipment remains compliant.

However, he added a caveat: if the calibrated thermometer deviates significantly from many devices being tested, we must re-verify it against another master or wait for the new calibrated set to arrive.

• While it is logical to order new equipment early to ensure a seemless overlap, unexpected delivery delays often disrupt that plan.
• Furthermore, buying a new set every 11 months to avoid a lapse feels like a waste of resources, effectively discarding a full month of certified utility.

I realized then that there are nuances in judgment that we rarely put into writing because policies are often static, while the environment is "living" and unpredictable.

The Evolution of Responsibility

Our roles are in a state of constant evolution.

• We begin as "blind followers", strictly adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as a matter of obligation.
• However, as we transition into senior positions, our perspective shifts; we recognize that the vast majority of medication errors could be prevented if these protocols were simply followed.
• In this stage of our careers, we evolve from mere practitioners into the enforcers of the rules themselves.

Often, errors are not the result of inexperience or a lack of knowledge, but a deliberate failure to adhere to procedures.

• I have seen reckless junior doctors write prescriptions based on guesswork, assuming pharmacists will catch their mistakes.
• Simultaneously, I have seen provisionally registered pharmacists fill those prescriptions without questioning whether the dosage is standard or safe.

We are playing a dangerous game.

• Medication safety is more than just memorizing "High-Alert" or "LASA" (Look-Alike Sound-Alike) lists; it is about maintaining a precautionary mindset and acting in the best interest of the patient at every step.

Summary

History has a habit of repeating itself when those of us living through it forget the lessons of the past.

• To my fellow seniors: when the time comes to leave your position, make it your mission to groom your successor.
• Leaving a task force should not just be a personal relief; it requires a proper "passover" of knowledge.
• You can enforce perfect policies during your tenure, but if the person who follows you is left in the dark, they will simply create a new, perhaps less efficient, workflow.
• Without a legacy of mentorship, the entire foundation must be rebuilt from scratch every few years.

As for this blog, I sometimes wonder who will take it over when I retire.

• Until then, I hope sharing these "random" experiences provides some hindsight for the junior pharmacists navigating the struggles we once faced - and eventually solved.