SESSION DETAILS
Abstract
From their traditional role focusing on the dispensing of medications and medication counselling, pharmacists have advanced and evolved to embrace a wide range of patient-centred direct care clinical pharmacy services which include medication reconciliation, medication therapy management, anticoagulation therapy services, smoking cessation service and chronic disease management.
Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide and have a significant negative impact on public health, overall well-being, national economies and the long-term sustainability of burdened health systems.
With their extensive training in pharmacotherapy, pharmacists are well-placed and empowered to play an integral role in multidisciplinary and integrated team management of chronic disease in primary care, where pharmacotherapy is an important modality of therapy.
The introduction of the Collaborative Practitioner Prescribing Course by NUS to train and prepare pharmacists to prescribe under a Collaborative Practice Agreement with a medical practitioner further empowers pharmacists to play an integral role in chronic disease management.
With an ageing population and efforts to right-site more patients from tertiary to primary care, there is opportunity and impetus for pharmacists to apply their pharmacotherapeutic expertise to optimize care of chronic disease patients at primary care/in the community.
In this symposium, you will be able to learn about the role pharmacists can play in the management of patients with chronic diseases. There will also be presentations by 2 primary care pharmacy practitioners about the roles pharmacists play in the management of chronic disease patients in primary care.
With the implementation of Healthier SG in Singapore, it is envisioned that more patients with chronic care will be primarily managed at primary care/in the community. This creates an opportunity as well as an impetus for pharmacists, being well-trained in pharmacotherapy, to play an integral role as a member of the primary care team to provide optimal care, leveraging technology, to chronic disease patients, allowing them to be stably managed at primary care/in the community.
Workshop Objectives
Workshop Learning Outcomes
Session Details
Topic
Speaker
Smarter Chronic Care: Impact of Pharmacist-Enabled Collaborative Digital Health
The COVID 19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital health technologies, reshaping healthcare delivery and expanding opportunities to support patients with chronic conditions. A growing body of evidence indicates that digital health tools, including remote monitoring devices and app-based communication platforms, can help close persistent gaps in access, continuity, and quality of care. These technologies have demonstrated particular value in chronic disease management by facilitating timely clinical interventions, improving patient engagement, and strengthening data-driven, team-based care. This presentation will explore real-world examples of pharmacist-enabled digital health programs and summarize clinical evidence demonstrating their impact on chronic disease management. Additionally, this talk will elucidate evidence-based strategies for implementing successful pharmacist-integrated digital health care models, offering a roadmap for health systems, clinicians, and decision-makers seeking to build or scale sustainable digital health models that leverage pharmacists’ expertise.
Dr Joyce Lee Yu Chia
Partners in Health: SingHealth Polyclinics Pharmacists' Ongoing Commitment to Chronic Care
From their traditional role focusing on the dispensing of medications and medication counselling, SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) pharmacists have advanced and evolved to embrace a wide range of patient-centred direct care clinical pharmacy services, particularly in management of chronic diseases which forms a significant part of SHP’s patient care activities. This development has been accentuated with the national implementation of MOH’s Healthier SG initiative.
In her talk, Wan Lin will share how SingHealth Polyclinics (SHP) pharmacists collaborate within multidisciplinary teams across diverse chronic care aspects, supporting specialised clinical programmes for various chronic conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and musculoskeletal conditions.
This partnership extends through strategic formulary management, ensuring seamless care continuity whilst expanding therapeutic options within polyclinics, thereby enhancing care accessibility for SHP patients. SHP pharmacists’ comprehensive medication management partnerships bridge polyclinics with diverse healthcare settings including tertiary hospitals, the community, intermediate and long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and specialist outpatient clinics. These chronic care initiatives are underpinned by research and educational efforts. Research partnerships strengthen SHP pharmacists’ evidence-based approach to chronic care, whilst educational partnerships demonstrate the commitment of SHP pharmacists to share knowledge via professional development programmes, patient education initiatives, digital resources, professional publications, and multimedia content.
In her talk, Wan Lin will also explain how, moving forward, SingHealth Polyclinics pharmacists will remain steadfast partners with other healthcare colleagues in advancing chronic care delivery, deepening interprofessional collaborations, and expanding patient-centred services that truly embody their shared commitment to improving health outcomes across Singapore's primary care landscape.
Ms Oh Wan Lin
The Evolution of Clinical Pharmacists: Expanding Roles in Multidisciplinary Chronic Disease Management
Chronic disease management in primary care is increasingly complex, driven by multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and the need for sustained long term follow up. Clinical pharmacists have evolved to become integral members of multidisciplinary care teams, supporting physicians in delivering high quality, safe, and sustainable care.
Within the National University Health System (NUHS), the role of clinical pharmacists has progressed from traditional medication counselling to active clinical partnership in structured chronic disease programmes. Pharmacists are embedded in collaborative care models such as the Hypertension, Diabetes and Lipids (HDL) Clinic, AMI HOPE programme, and Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) Shared Care, as well as expanding services for gout and osteoporosis. In these settings, pharmacists contribute through medication optimisation, patient education, adherence support, and longitudinal follow up aligned with evidence based care.
Importantly, NUHS clinical pharmacists are trained in collaborative prescribing, enabling them to initiate and titrate medications within agreed clinical protocols under physician oversight. This model improves timeliness of care, reduces therapeutic inertia, and enhances medication safety, while allowing primary care physicians to focus on diagnosis, complex decision making, and holistic patient management.
For patients, pharmacist involvement translates into improved medication understanding, better disease control, and reduced medication related harm. For primary care teams, pharmacists extend clinical capacity and strengthen continuity of care. From a policy perspective, pharmacist involved collaborative care models represent a scalable and cost effective approach to chronic disease management, supporting right siting, value based care, and healthcare workforce optimisation.
As chronic disease burden continues to rise, clinical pharmacists are an essential cog in patient care—working alongside physicians to deliver safe, effective, and patient centred care across the primary care landscape.
Mr Sim Jun Long Marvin
Speakers
More information is coming soon.
