Widen roles of nurses, pharmacists to make up for shortage of doctors

Apart from doctors, allied healthcare professionals such as nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists and dietitians make up the backbone of Singapore’s healthcare system.

Doctors in public healthcare have switched to the private sector, citing long working hours as a reason. But some of their roles can be performed by allied healthcare professionals.

In recent times, the role of pharmacists has evolved into more of a patient-centric vocation rather than a behind-the-scenes drug dispenser at “pill counters”.

Pharmacists are medication experts, and are just as qualified in recommending pharmacotherapy for common and simple illnesses, such as gastroenteritis or constipation, after hearing a physician’s diagnosis. The Doctor of Pharmacy programme also allows pharmacists to learn more about advanced medication treatments.

Nurses are also widely regarded as lowly-paid assistants of doctors, but many nurses now are degree-holders, and some go on to get a master’s in nursing to become an advanced-practice nurse.

In the United States, these advanced-practice nurses are seen as the equals of physicians and they can prescribe medicine to patients, on top of their nursing responsibilities.

It may be absurd to some to suggest that pharmacists and advanced-practice nurses are viable substitutes for doctors, but with the change in times and the shortage of physicians, this proposal should be seriously considered.

This group of professionals should be paid better and given bigger roles. This is to attract fresh talent and to safeguard against larger shortages when the population here ages further.

One may question why a pay rise would work in attracting or retaining these healthcare professionals.

The answer is that doctors who leave public healthcare have the option of setting up their own clinics with more flexible working hours.

For pharmacists and nurses, especially the latter, their working hours stay relatively constant whether in a public or private setting.

To draw more pharmacists to public healthcare from the retail setting to understudy physicians, there needs to be monetary incentive. It is not enough to hand out scholarships to these professionals and bond them for four to six years.