Memories from
25 years ago were
unearthed when
Singapore General
Hospital opened its
time capsule buried
in 1996.
In 1966, the Singapore
General Hospital (SGH)
Pharmacy Department
produced the Hospital
Formulary, a publication listing
some 400 drugs approved for use
in the hospital. The Formulary
helped guide healthcare
professionals on what can be
prescribed for patients.
Although an important
resource, it had its limitations.
As new medications and drugs
came into use, the Formulary
quickly became outdated.
With technology,
SGH healthcare professionals
today can access an electronic
drug data base, e-Pharmacopoiea,
via the hospital’s intranet.
It provides comprehensive and
current information on more
than 1,600 drugs, and is also linked to international drug
information services such
as Lexicomp, UpToDate and
Micromedex.
The Pharmacy Department
also runs the Drug Information
Service for doctors, pharmacists,
nurses and other healthcare
professionals. Staffed by a
full-time pharmacist, the Service
handles some 500 enquiries a
month, and provides support for
activities like drug use evaluation
and research.
To encourage patients
and the general public to take
greater care of their health, and
understand their treatments
and medications, information
on drugs and medical conditions
are available on the SGH website
as well as the SingHealth
HealthBuddy mobile application.
Such information can also help
dispel misinformation and
disinformation that circulate on
social media.
The Hospital Formulary was
one of the objects unearthed
when SGH opened its time
capsule buried in 1996 at the
SGH Museum, as part of the
hospital’s 175th anniversary. The
capsule was opened in late 2021
in conjunction with SGH’s 200th
anniversary celebrations.
The Formulary and other
artefacts from the capsule are
on display in the SGH Museum’s
mobile display unit.
A digital time capsule was
launched by Singapore President
Halimah Yacob on 26 November
2021. It will be opened at the
launch of the revamped SGH
Campus in about 15 years’ time.
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