Pharmacist inspired to reach more folk

A PHARMACIST in Penang put the state on the map after being named the top community pharmacist in Asia.

Gina Koay Wan Lee, 46, won a Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Association (FAPA) award for 2023 at the 29th FAPA Congress held at Taipei International Convention Centre in Taiwan last October.

Koay said the win was meaningful as it proved that all her hard work had paid off, adding that she was now more inspired than ever to reach out to people.

“I want people to realise that being a good pharmacist is more than just opening a pharmacy to sell medication and supple-ments,” said the mother of a 11-year-old boy.Koay attending to a customer at her pharmacy.

Koay earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Curtin University of Technology in Australia and served as the chairman of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) Penang branch for six years before stepping down last year.

She is the former chairman of WomenBIZSens, a local networking group dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs learn and connect with business leaders.

Koay said she had always been passionate about public health and serving the people.

“Being a pharmacist makes me a frontliner in emergencies and while still a student, I realised the responsibilities I would have to carry out in my job.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic started, we pharmacists risked our lives and health when dealing with patients,” she said.

Koay, who started her pharmacy practice in Penang in 2007 when she returned from Australia, experienced culture shock concerning the role of pharmacists in the country.

“Malaysians are mostly unaware that we play an important part in providing healthcare.

“We pharmacists have to ensure the safety of medication for patients, be knowledgeable about the many brands available in the market and even addiction issues.

“A good pharmacist dispenses the right medication to the right person at the right time,” she said.

Koay, who is the daughter of former state exco member and Seri Delima assemblyman Datuk Koay Kar Huah, hoped that people would be more mindful about their health at all times.

She pointed out that health literacy in Malaysia was still low.

“Many people procrastinate in going to a doctor or even to the nearest pharmacy where they can easily get their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar tested.

“Sometimes, they come to us too late and we can only advise them to seek treatment from the hospital as soon as possible,” she said.

Koay is also juggling various responsibilities as a community pharmacist.

Apart from serving as an MPS council member for 2023-2025, she was also appointed to the Industry/Community Advisory Panel for Universiti Sains Malaysia.

She is a speaker and accredited HRDCorp trainer under Human Resource Development Corporation, Malaysia, and was approached to be a mentor to the Asian Young Pharmacists Group.

Koay wants to take advocacy of disease prevention to a higher level in Malaysia.

She has given health talks at educational institutions and companies, collaborated with non-governmental organisations to go to Orang Asli settlements and written articles on community pharmacy.

“I want to contribute to many different areas.

“Maybe in the next five years, Malaysia will have specialist pharmacists who can do medication reviews, and tackle wound care and diabetes management,” she added.