Photos around my working place

This series will be around my work place, my shop and surrounding. This batch of photos taken with Nikkormat FTN together with Nippon Kogaku 50mm f/2 lens. Film will be Kodak 100 ( expired).

The above pictures is my teammate for my pharmacy. Enjoy the rest of the photos.








This how efficient our local authorities for their job, been there for few days.






The colour and texture with this lens is lovely.

Good Dr.

Today, Dr Rajan from our local government hospital came my shop to buy some hypertension medicines. This is the second time he came, because hospital only prescribe generic for him. Below is our conversation:

Dr. Rajan : Give me Nxxxxxx 5mg

Me : How many strip do you need, Dr?

Dr. Rajan : Give me 2, but with the price of one box that you promised last time.

(suddenly his phone rang)

Dr. Rajan : You, go turn off your radio, my call from india, very important, and very noisy here.

(After 10mins........)

Me : Sorry, i cant give that price base on 2 strip. I'm willing to give that price as cost if you buy one box.

Dr. Rajan : Ok, I buy one box but when my Dr. prescribe a different drug, i'd like to return and get refund.

Me : Really sorry, I'm doing my best here to give the best price.

Dr. Rajan : Other pharmacy accept refund and exchange, how come you cannot do that? Dr. and Pharmacist not suppose to help each other? Let see, the expiry date is 2014, when i return to you, you still can sell it, you got nothing to loose, tell me why you cant?

Me : Erm...... Sorry, we can't do that. The best price RM1yy.00 per box.

Dr. Rajan : Ok Ok, give me one box. You are very unfriendly.

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Yeah, what should i said about this? I'm a pharmacist, yet i open business for money, and not doing charity. I help him by giving my best price for Dr., what he had done for me?

Win win, my friend, Dr Rajan.

Eat full, sell 'pao'

I'm pretty sure a lot of chinese do understand the title, eat full, sell 'pao'. Want to share one incident that happen recently in my business life.

Some of you might come across sheep placenta, recently there is a brand of sheep placenta is quite famous, MF III PE Soft Gel Sheep Placenta. What so special about this placenta? I'm not too sure, may be is the best or just branding. Anyway, it is selling at RM660.00 RSP for one month consumption.

After a long conversation with the distributor in malaysia, LAB DOM AVMM SUISSE (M) SDN. BHD., i manage to make a order of 50boxes of MF3 PE SoftGel. They require me to pay up front, so they can proceed with the order and deliver the stock to me once the payment is made. What to do? i desperately need the stock and customer is waiting. As their request, i've bank in RM18150.00 to their account ASAP.

2 days later, they said they've receive the payment will send out the stock ASAP. Another 2 days, i called them up about the status of my stock. Their reply is ''Mr. Pang, we are so sorry, we cannot supply to you and will refund the money to you, because sabah and sarawak is distribute by one pharmacy in MIRI, SARAWAK''

If they really cannot supply, just tell me cannot supply and i will tell my customer MF3 not willing to sell to me, please go MIRI to buy. After all the payment, rushing here and there, they said cannot supply and will do refund.

Typical ''eat full, sell pao''

Malaysia Boleh !!!...... Mask Boleh!!!

Because of this H1N1, mask are selling like a hot cake. Our 'smart' government has a good plan to handle this issue, to prevent retailer earn too much and also able to let mask supplier to earn the most. That's how smart our government, i love it.

Today, KPDNKK come and visit me. They come and check what price i'm selling for the mask, I'm sure the best way to find out will be test buy, rather than just ask, am i right? If you ask, sure i'm telling you that i'm selling the lowest price that they've fixed. May be they want to get it done fast, can go have some tea or coffee.

I'm quite surprise they need 6 persons to come to do this checking. Malaysia Boleh.

Some nice pictures will be up later, stay tune.

Malaysia Boleh!!! ............. Hospital Boleh!!!

Let me blog out what i knew that happen recently in one of the local hospital. How true is it, you judge yourself.

One evening, a pharmacist got a phone call from hospital, asking her what is the alternative medication for midazolam antidote, flumazenil. Because hospital is running out of stocak at that time. ( I believe most the time out of stock)

Once i heard this, I thought someone taking high dose midazolam to commit suicide, that's why hospital is looking for flumazenil. But the truth is one of the doctor gave IV midazolam to a kids and it was overdosed.

I'm quite curious how the dr will settle this case, forward the patient to other town? or just leave it and wish the kids will wake up on his own?

Am i wrong?

Quite some time i didn't blog, quite busy with my life and my pharmacy.

As a retail pharmacist, everyday we are dealing with medicines, sometimes we do have prescription from doctor asking us to dispense certain medication for their patients. For a medicines to be dispensed, we need to have a valid prescription from doctor. What will be a valid prescription?

Below is a quote from POISON ACT, 1952 (Act 366)

Section 21.(2)
Every presctiption for any Group B Poison prescribed by a registered medical practitioner, registered dentist, or registered veterinary officer shall:
(a) be in writing signed and dated by the prescriber thereof;
(b) state the address of the prescriber;
(c) state the name and address of the patient or, in the case of a prescription by a veterinary officer, the name and address of the person to whom such medicine is to be delivered;
(d) indicate the total amount of medicine to be supplied and the dose; and
(e) specify the number of times (not exceeding three) the medicine may be dispensed and, if dispensed more than once, at what intervals

Section 24.(2)
In this section "prescription" means any written or oral instruction to the seller or supplier to supply any poison, or medicine containing any poison, for the purpose of medical, dental or animal treatment of any person or animal, given by any person; and "prescriber" means the person giving such instructions or causing such instructions to be given to the seller or supplier.

Why i blog this out? Recently there is poison enforcer come and inspect my shop, asking me why should i accept Dr's prescription which is no clinic / hospital letter head, but with all the details that is stated in the Poison Act, 1952. Does she know the law well before she take any action?

I believe in other field also, this kind of things happen quite frequent. We don't clarify with them on the spot because we want a peaceful life, we just want to do business. Please take action on those who really against the law.

Credit give to beyond for the poison act information.

Ringgit Malaysia

I've been quite some time no update my blog, quite lazy to update and there is actually quite a lot of interesting stuff that i can share here. As a retail pharmacist, things that we normally encounter will be price issue, customer argue or scold you from your grand grand parents till your children for 10cents or any amount.

Let's put it in a dialog form, what happen this morning.

ABC : Do you have Eye mo moist? small one.

Me : Yes, i have. RM5.00 per bottle.

ABC : How come so expensive? I bought it for 1 something only.

Me : Oh... 1 something is really cheap, where you get it?

ABC : Singapore, Sing dollar 1 somethings.

$%@#$@#^%$%@#$@#^%$&%^^!@#$@!$#%(@#)$^
amp;%^^!@#$@!$#%(@#)$^


Conclusions
How come so much difference? Hopefully only our country leader will know the answer.

Publix Pharmacy (民众药剂), Lahad Datu, Sabah.

This is where i work, Publix Pharmacy (民众药剂). This pharmacy started 1st July 2008, still a very young pharmacy in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

Operating hours

• Monday to Saturday : 7.30am to 6.30pm
• Sunday and Public Holiday : 7.30am to 1.00pm

This young pharmacy located at Taman Tabanac at Jalan Segama.

Coordinates: 5°1'60"N 118°18'47"E

Address is as below :

MDLD 4643, Taman Tabanac,
Jalan Segama, Lahad Datu.
Tel / Fax : +6-089-883033

Doctor's way of dispensing.

Have been in retail pharmacy life for quite sometimes, we come across a lot of funny prescription by doctor. Some of them simply give, why? i really don't know and don't want to comments. Let me share one of it here, which happen this morning.

One 50 years ++ aunty came in my pharmacy, asking me to give some advice on her medication.

• AMTAS (amlodipine) 10mg take at morning
  
• SIMVACOR (simvastatin) 40mg take at night
• VYTORIN (ezetimibe + simvastatin) 10/20 take at morning

Take a look at the medication that this DR gave, Amlodipine which is antihypertensive drug given at morning, no problems.

The problems is the cholesterol lowering agent, both of this should be taken at night and not morning, how can this Dr don't know about this? Perhaps he didn't do well in his pharmacology.

For those in Lahad Datu, can drop me an email. I'll tell you who is this Dr, quite famous. Hahaha.

Dispensing seperation is NEEDED !!!!!

Some of the Malaysia's doctor.

Recently, there is a news from The Star, Compugates to develop pharmacy chain.

There is somethings i want to bring up somethings which i think related to the above case, below is a conversation between me and a local doctor happen few days ago in my shop, the conversation was in malay, i translate it to english.

Dr : Normally pregnant lady take what supplement. (A pregnant lady stand next to him)

Me : Mostly they took Obimin, Iberat Folic and now there is a new one called Obimin Pluz.

Dr : What price you can give me for Obimin Pluz? Give me doctor price, I'm government
doctor. (Didn't show me his working tag)

Me : Erm....... ok, RMxx.xx, this is the best price for you.

Dr : Cannot be lower? i'm doctor.

Me : No, this is the best price for you.

Dr : Lower somemore, i'm government doctor. By the way, what's the difference of Iberat Folic
and Obimin.

Me : Iberat Folic is Hematinic.

Dr : Obimin also got hematinic?

Me : Yes

Dr : Your price can lower? I'm doctor.

Me : That's the lowest.

The main point of this conversation is not about the price slashing, is the supplements.

After i find out from friends around LD, this guy is a medical doctor in one of the local hospital and he's a O&G doctor, what is O&G? Here is the link.

How can a O&G doctor don't know anythings about this basic supplement for pregnant lady, I'd suggest him to read a post from my friend regarding vitamins in pregnancy.

What type of medical doctor is this? Malaysia will have too much doctor by year 2013, this will be very true. Quantity and not quality.

Doing charity ?

It was a trend now no matter which field you are in, everyone is throwing their price just to attract more 'price royal' customer. Do you think this really a good tactic in business?

Recently i have a wee chat with one of my competitor to standardize some of the item that we selling, both of us was shock when we saw the price list by another pharmacy in my town, the selling price is ridiculous low. When we find out more from this pharmacy, this is our conversation...

ME : Hi, how come this product sell at so low price? almost cost?

AA : Because we afraid customer cannot afford to buy, so we lower it, what do you think?

Me : Erm... ok.

Conclusion,
What is the main purpose we do business? charity of make money? I'm not saying to earn few hundred percent profit, but at least reasonable. What's the point if i open a shop and sell everything at cost? I can be paid free, how bout rental, staff, electricity?......

Ascorbic Acid

In pharmacy, there are a lot of funny things can be happen. I believe in other field also have their own funny story. Below is a conversation of my staff (include me) with a customer.

Customer : Do you have ascorbic acid?

Staff : Yes, we do have. (showing her vitamin c range that we did carry)

Customer : No no no !!!!! I want ascorbic acid, not vitamin C.

Staff : erm...... ascorbic acid is actually vitamin c, the scientific name of vitamin c

Customer : No no no !!!!! (Then this customer left my shop very angry)
.
.
.
.
.
.

Conclusion

• After she left, me and my staff was discuss what we did wrongly make her angry
• May be she is looking for ascorbic acid raw material

Expensive "ITEM"

Expesive ITEMS, this few bottles of medication cost me RM18k++. I ordered this medication based on my customer request, imagine one normal family how can they afford such expensive medication. A lot of people saying pharmacy earn a lot of money, but i'll say pharma company is the one that earn the most.


TEMODAL 100mg, just 5 capsules inside this tiny bottle cost ~RM2.5k

Cough syrup please?

Me : Good afternoon.

CS : Give me cough syrup, good one.

Me : Sir, you have phlegm? or just dry cough?

CS : I got phlegm, cannot hear meh?

Me : Ok, I give u this one, stop your cough and also clear your phlegm.

CS : Let me see first................. Young man, this one make in malaysia oh, can trust or not? I want dry cough medicine, i don't want this one.

Me : Dry cough? ok, take this PHENSEDYL but this one will make you drowsy. (a while said got phlegm, a while said want dry cough, what the.................)

CS : Let me see, make in where one? malaysia oh, mana boleh oh.

Me : No worry uncle, under license of AVENTIS, very big company, not local company.

CS : Things make in malaysia can tipu one.

Me : Erm.............................

CS : Give me the green one.

Me : Green one? Uncle, this one is not for cough.

CS : I read myself........ you see, this one made in Belgium. I took before one, i know this work well for me.

Me : Erm.........................

CS : Ui...... give me discount, normally i got 10% one.

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Conclusion
Products make in malaysia really xxxxxx ? Better don't comment, IXA is watching.
In fact this customer bought CLARITYNE, anthistamine syrup, at the end.

A super extra ordinary person...

Me : Hi, looking for anythings?

EO : Of course lah, if not come for what?....

Me : Erm....

EO : Do u have NEURONTIN? how much u selling?

Me : Yes, let me check the best price that i can give you. Ok, the best price i can give is RM30.00 per strip.

EO : RM29.00 lah, normally i bought at 29, last month i come here, one young lady give me 29 only.

Me : Young lady, no young lady working here.

EO : Oh... is it? That day you on leave, of course you dunnno sell at 29 lah.

Me : Ok, not a problems. I give u at RM29.00

EO : Like that ah, give me 2 strip.

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Conclusion
This customer has some supernatural power, he "knew" that i take leave which i myself also dunno i'm on leave. Don't you think he is really................. KNS?

Very expensive...

Me : Hi, good morning. Anything i can help u?

Cust : Do you have piriton?

Me : Yes, we have the generic piriton (taking out from shelf)

Cust : How much are you selling?

Me : RM0.10 per tablet, how many tablet would you like to have?

Cust : Wah !!!!!!!!! why so expensive?

Me : (may be she heard wrongly) huh? RM0.10 per tablet.

Cust : Yalah... RM0.10 not expensive ah? why so expensive.

Me : erm........... (better dun argue)

Cust : Give me 10 tablet la, so expensive RM0.10 per tablet.

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Conclusion
RM0.10 to buy one tablet is very expensive