ACT (Adopt-A-Centre) Cycle 2
Empowering Seniors through Service-Learning
Despite only being launched this year, ACT (Adopt-A-Centre) is already in its second cycle. This new service-learning initiative is organised by CHAMP (Community Health Angels Mentoring Programme) and NUS Department of Pharmacy, in collaboration with Montfort Care at Goodlife Studio Bukit Purme. It brings students and pharmacists together to conduct medication reconciliation, draft pharmaceutical care plans, and provide patient education for seniors in the community. These seniors typically have several chronic conditions which they are taking medications for, and are followed up at two or more medical institutions. The programme thus aims to help them gain a better understanding of their medications while offering an avenue to address any drug-related concerns that they may have.
During the short two-hour orientation session on 8 October, student volunteers were expected to familiarise themselves with the requisite documentation process and simulate how they would react to potential challenges, such as digressions during the consultation, or situations where seniors forgot to bring their medications with them. The orientation session also encouraged students to apply what they have learnt in class to some real-life scenarios, such as identifying the symptoms of hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) – something that should be especially familiar to the Year 2s who had just completed their PR2153 CA that day!
ACT Cycle 2 Orientation Session
The first two official sessions of ACT Cycle 2 took place shortly after, on 11 and 18 October respectively. In true Singaporean fashion, most of the elderly had arrived at the centre well ahead of time, and a few even had to wait due to limited manpower. Nonetheless, anyone who doubted how much could be accomplished in a single session was in for a surprise – in the first session alone, a total of 55 medications (excluding self-supplements and traditional medicines) were reviewed, 13 drug-related problems identified, and 4 intervention/ referral memos issued! Given how there were only 13 student volunteers and 4 volunteer pharmacists that day, the result was nothing short of astonishing.
Of the 14 seniors the student volunteers had attended to over the two sessions, one in particular left a lasting impression. The senior was a former nurse, so she was well-versed in medical terminology. This understandably generated some pressure for the student volunteers who had to ensure accuracy in their explanations, lest they cause any miscommunication – or mild embarrassment – in front of someone who was familiar with the field.
All in all, it was an enriching experience for the student volunteers, who walked away with a deeper appreciation of pharmacists’ impact in community healthcare. The experience also taught them that, contrary to the tightly-timed practices in school, real-life medication reconciliation cannot be completed in under six minutes. It must instead be a warm, two-way conversation that puts seniors at ease to encourage them to open up, thereby allowing pharmacists to truly understand and serve their needs better.
Written by: Kaily