Track C4: Aligning with Healthier SG: The Critical Role of Pharmacists in Population Health Optimisation
Sunday, 28 September | 13:30–15:00 | Riverfront Ballroom (Level 2)
The Healthier SG initiative signals a paradigm shift towards preventive, community-based care with strong emphasis on chronic disease management and citizen empowerment. While pharmacist-led clinics have demonstrated value in medication management and patient education, there is a critical need to explore and define next-generation roles for pharmacists in the broader ecosystem of population health.
Presentations
Online Pharmacies – How Can We Tie-In with Healthier SG? by Mr Leslie CHIA
As Singapore moves towards a more preventive and community-based healthcare model under Healthier SG, the role of pharmacists is evolving beyond conventional settings. This session explores how online pharmacies can become vital partners in population health, not just as medication providers but as accessible touchpoints for vaccination, chronic disease support, smoking cessation, and weight management. Drawing from the journey of launching Glovida-Rx Pharmacy, we’ll discuss how digital platforms can deliver safe, pharmacist-led services at scale while upholding regulatory standards. We’ll also explore opportunities for integration with national health frameworks, including data sharing, collaborative prescribing, and partnerships with primary care networks. The session aims to spark ideas on how online pharmacies can complement brick-and-mortar practices and support Healthier SG’s goals, ultimately empowering pharmacists to play a larger, tech-enabled role in preventive care, patient engagement, and long-term health outcomes for the population.
Panel Discussion: Our Pharmacists’ Response to the Healthier SG Drumbeat – and Beyond moderated by Dr Cheryl Wei Yan TAN
Panelists:
• Ms Kwee Keng KNG
• Mr Pin Woon LAM
• Ms Celine NG
• Professor Tracey THORNLEY
Speakers
Mr Leslie CHIA
Head
Retail Pharmacy and E-Pharmacy
Glovida-Rx Pharmacy
Singapore
Mr Leslie Chia is a registered pharmacist in Singapore and a key driver behind the successful launch of Glovida-Rx Online Pharmacy, a digital platform built to deliver safe, pharmacist-led care to the community. Since 2017, Mr Chia has gained valuable experience across retail and clinical pharmacy, with a strong focus on patient engagement and service innovation. He is certified in vaccination administration by the American Pharmacists Association and holds certification in collaborative prescribing, positioning him to support expanded pharmacist roles in primary care. Beyond e-pharmacy operations, Mr Chia is actively developing services such as smoking cessation, weight management, medication reconciliation, and chronic disease support. With Glovida-Rx set to grow its impact, Mr Chia hopes to align these services with national initiatives like Healthier SG, championing the pharmacist’s role in preventive health and empowering Singaporeans to take charge of their well-being.
Dr Cheryl Wei Yan TAN
Principal Clinical Pharmacist
Pharmacy Practice
National Healthcare Group Pharmacy
Singapore
Dr Cheryl Tan is a Principal Clinical Pharmacist with the National Healthcare Group Pharmacy (NHGPh), Singapore. With 12 years of experience, she oversees the pharmacist-led ambulatory care services across nine polyclinics nationwide. Following her PharmD completion in 2019, she conceptualised and spearheaded the development of the Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Clinic and geriatric-MTM service throughout National Healthcare Group polyclinics, providing comprehensive care reviews and targeted deprescribing efforts for patients. As a Ministry of Health–credentialled collaborative prescriber, she provides direct patient care and medication management services in both polyclinics as well as the intermediate- to long-term care settings. Dr Tan also serves on various institutional and cluster committees representing primary care and pharmacy. Her professional interests include chronic disease management, ambulatory care, geriatrics, community care and medication safety.
Ms Kwee Keng KNG
Principal Pharmacist (Clinical)
Pharmacy
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Singapore
Ms Kwee Keng Kng is the Community Care Pharmacist Lead at the National Healthcare Group Population Health Campus and serves as a Principal Pharmacist (Clinical) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). In her role as Unit Head at TTSH, she oversees the Pharmacy Clinical Team–based services, which encompass ambulatory care, community health team, and smoking cessation programmes. A board-certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (USA), Ms Kng holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy with Honours from the National University of Singapore and a Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacy from Queen’s University of Belfast (UK). As a qualified Collaborative Prescribing Practitioner, she independently prescribes at both the Anticoagulation Clinic and the Smoking Cessation Clinic.
Mr Pin Woon LAM
Director
Flex Logistics Pte Ltd
Singapore
Mr Pin Woon Lam has extensive experience in public health, healthcare, and corporate management in both the public and private sectors. He is the corporate director/advisor of several healthcare companies across the Asia-Pacific and had been an adjunct faculty member at the National University of Singapore Pharmacy for 20 years. Mr Lam conducts training at Civil Service College International for health officials from overseas on the thinking and rationale behind Singapore’s healthcare financing policies, to facilitate effective policy formulation to solve real-world healthcare challenges. Mr Lam was previously the President and Executive Director of publicly listed Healthway Medical Corporation Ltd, the biggest outpatient healthcare provider in Singapore, with presence in China. Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Health Promotion Board.
Ms Celine NG
Principal Clinical Pharmacist
Changi General Hospital
Singapore
After graduating from the National University of Singapore’s Pharmacy program and earning her Master of Clinical Pharmacy from the University of South Australia, Ms Celine Ng built her foundation as deputy in charge of Outpatient Pharmacy at Changi General Hospital. In 2023, she transitioned to Ambulatory Care, where she now serves as a certified collaborative prescriber across multiple specialties, including ACC, cardiology, rheumatology, IBD, pain management, and smoking cessation.
In 2021, she was awarded a grant-funded study in developing a risk triage algorithm for medication-related problems, with a vision to revolutionise pharmacy practice through data driven, risk-stratified approaches. She has also contributed through published research and peer reviews, particularly in smoking cessation program effectiveness.
Currently, she balances her clinical practice with co-leading various cluster initiatives in medication adherence, smoking cessation, and her appointment as the Group Pharmacy representative to the RHS Population Health and Community Care Executive Council for the SingHealth Epic project.
Professor Tracey THORNLEY
Professor of Health Policy
Pharmacy
University of Nottingham
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Professor Tracey Thornley is a pharmacist and health economist, Professor of Health Policy at the University of Nottingham, and Scientific Advisor for Surveillance Transformation at the National Biosurveillance Network at the UK Health Security Agency. At an international level, Professor Thornley is a member of the Executive Committee for the Community Pharmacy section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation and of the global Antimicrobial Resistance commission, and also Chair of the Data and Intelligence commission.
