In Singapore’s evolving healthcare landscape, pharmacists play a crucial role beyond dispensing medications. As integral members of the healthcare team, they offer expert medication counselling, ensure patient safety, and contribute to improved health outcomes through their specialised knowledge and patient-centred care approach.

For Arya Melissa Selva Rajah, a career in healthcare wasn’t just a choice—it was a lifelong dream.

“I always got excited when I had to visit hospitals as a child,” she recalled. “I would think that all the healthcare professionals seemed so cool with their scrubs and medical lingo. I also admired how they were always so kind, warm and thoughtful towards the patients they were attending to.”

This early fascination with healthcare led her to pursue a career in pharmacy after her GCE ‘A’ Levels. “I knew that I wanted to make a difference to contribute to Singapore’s healthcare scene,” she shared. “Pharmacy was an easy choice as it killed two birds with one stone—it combined my love for science and my childhood dream.”

A Bright Start

Arya’s decision to apply for the MOHH Healthcare Merit Award came after discovering it on the BrightSparks Scholarship portal. She was particularly drawn to the benefits the scholarship offered, such as the opportunity to attend a summer exchange programme in London. In addition to the financial support, she was attracted to the prospect of receiving valuable guidance from a dedicated scholarship officer.

Arya’s scholarship experience began even before university, with an orientation camp at Pulau Ubin that brought together healthcare scholars from various disciplines. “It was the first time I’ve witnessed so many like-minded individuals gather in one place!” she reminisced. “The camp was exciting, challenging, fun and very rewarding. I learnt of many different allied health professions and how they hoped to contribute to their future jobs. This inspired me even more.”

Pharmacy with Purpose

Arya worked as a Senior Pharmacist at IMH. Her role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. Beyond the core duties of medication dispensing and counselling, she reviews prescriptions for safety and appropriateness, particularly for new medications. She is also involved in telehealth initiatives, reviewing tele-prescriptions and conducting follow-ups with patients to ensure appropriate medication supply.

Her impact extends beyond traditional pharmaceutical care. Arya has spearheaded several environmental initiatives, including the implementation of a “Bring Your Own Bag” rack system, which has helped reduce plastic usage in outpatient pharmacies by 47% from 2022 to 2023. “We also worked with some IMH inpatients to upcycle t-shirts into reusable tote bags,” she added, highlighting the innovative approaches to sustainability in healthcare.

For Arya, the most rewarding aspect of her work is making a tangible difference in patients’ lives. She recalled a particularly memorable encounter with a patient who had several medications to take on an ‘as-needed’ basis to address specific symptoms. “The patient was confused about how he should be using all of them to manage his symptoms appropriately,” Arya explained. “He also expressed his interest in quitting smoking.”

After spending nearly an hour counselling him on his medications and discussing methods to reduce his smoking, Arya followed up a few weeks later with a phone call. “He was able to remember my name and updated me that he had successfully managed to reduce the number of cigarettes that he was smoking.”

The impact of her counselling became even more evident during subsequent interactions. “I coincidentally picked up his basket for dispensing a few more weeks later and he immediately recognised me. He updated me on his condition,” she reflected. “It was heartwarming to see how much of an impact being a pharmacist had on the patient and how appreciative he was for it.”

Breaking New Ground in Patient Care

Looking ahead, Arya sees exciting developments in pharmacy practice, particularly in genomics and precision medicine.

“Genetics can influence the way patients respond to psychiatric medications,” she elaborated. “If precision medicine for psychiatry could be implemented one day, doctors would be able to predict how patients would react to the medications—without the patients themselves trying them. This could also help patients achieve the desired clinical outcomes with less, or even no unwanted side effects.”

For aspiring healthcare scholars, she emphasises the importance of key skills. “Communication, to me, is of utmost importance,” she advised. “You would have to communicate clearly within your pharmacy team and with other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding patient cases and other projects.” She also stressed the importance of empathy, good time management, and the ability to stay calm in fast-paced environments. “A bonus would be if you could speak multiple languages fluently!” she added.