In December 2017, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) was awarded a tender by the Ministry of Health (MOH) for the provision of training services for 16 half-day Portfolio Building (PB) workshops, and six one-day Portfolio Assessment (PA) workshops over a period of three years. This is part of the National Pharmacy Strategy to enhance the development of Pharmacists in Singapore through supporting the adoption and implementation of the national Competency Standards for Pharmacists in Advanced Practice.
Led by Associate Professor Tham Kum Ying, Senior Consultant and Education Director, TTSH, a team of TTSH pharmacists developed the curriculum and course materials, and launched the inaugural PB Workshop on 10 May 2018, followed by the inaugural PA Workshop on 25 May 2018.
These workshops are opened to all senior practicing pharmacists from diverse healthcare settings in Singapore, from both public and private sectors, with National Healthcare Group (NHG) College providing programme administration support. Since May 2018, five Portfolio Building workshops, and two Portfolio Assessment workshops have trained 150 and 60 senior pharmacists respectively.
The PB workshop focuses on the implementation of the advanced practice framework for the pharmacists within their institution through a portfolio-based approach. From the selection and collection of evidence of learning through using an Outcome Logic Model, to designing their portfolios, pharmacists from different institutions had the opportunity to tap on the collective wisdom of fellow participants; deliberating ways to make portfolios work in their context. The PA workshop drills deeper to equip the participants with the capabilities to conduct assessments of portfolios, and establish the requisite assessment system within their own institutions.
These workshops have been well-received, with all 2018 to 2019 workshops fully subscribed. Associate Professor Lita Chew, Chief Pharmacist, MOH lauded the efforts by the TTSH/NHG team, and expressed that these contributions would aid in the push for pharmacists towards greater self-directed, continual and life-long learning.
