By Kean Ping Lim, CEO of Pharm-D Sdn Bhd
When I first donned my white coat as a young pharmacist, I thought my role was simply to dispense medicines and make sure patients understood how to take them. In those early years, I saw the human side of healthcare up close: the worried faces of families seeking answers, the quiet resilience of patients managing chronic battles and conditions, and the trust they placed in a healthcare professional standing behind the counter.
Back then, what I did not realise was that every prescription had a bigger story. It was more than just a treatment plan for the patient. Behind each prescription, it was the result of a complex chain of decisions, resources, and collaborations that stretched far beyond the walls of the dispensary.
Today, as the CEO of Pharm-D Sdn Bhd, a company specialising in special, niche medicines and medical nutrition, I still carry that same patient-centered mindset, but with a wider view of what it takes to bring the right medicine to the right person at the right time. The journey from dispensary to boardroom has been one of learning how to bridge practice with partnership, and how to transform on-the-ground insights into strategic actions that impact the entire healthcare ecosystem.
Seeing Gaps that Others Missed
In my years as a practising pharmacist, I noticed that patients with less common or more complex conditions often faced a very different kind of struggle. It wasn’t just the illness they were battling, but the lack of access to the right treatments, the difficulty in finding reliable information, and the feeling of being left out of the mainstream healthcare conversation.
This was especially true for special medicines that were essential but not quite widely available due to many reasons: low commercial demand, complex handling requirements, regulatory hurdles, prohibitively high costs and the list go on.
I saw patients making long trips to get treatment, healthcare providers scrambling to find stock, and families resorting to subpar alternatives. It was frustrating to witness, but it made me think: What can we do to address these gaps in the healthcare supply chain?
From Practitioner to Problem Solver
The transition from a pharmacist to business executive was not about “leaving practice behind”, but how I can extend it. Instead of managing a single dispensary, I am now looking at a network of needs across the country. Instead of advising one patient at a time, I am working to make ways where thousands could gain access to the medicines they need with lesser delay or cost.
When I joined Pharm-D, our mission was clear: to be the bridge between healthcare providers, patients, and the often-complex world of pharmaceutical supply. We focus on areas that were underserved yet essential, such as rare diseases, complex conditions, hospital-only medications, and highly-specialised therapies.
This required a different kind of expertise — not just in medicine, but in logistics, regulation, and relationship-building. It meant partnering closely with clinical and healthcare frontliners to understand their challenges, with regulators to ensure compliance, and with global manufacturers and suppliers.
Building Partnerships That Matter
If there is one thing my journey has taught me thus far, it’s that healthcare is a team sport. No single entity — whether a pharmacy, a hospital, a manufacturer, or even a government — can do it all alone. The real breakthroughs happen when each party plays to its strengths and shares a commitment to the same outcome: better patient care.
Over the years in business management, I have seen how meaningful partnerships can transform outcomes: working with medical specialists helps uncover unmet needs, partnering with researchers brings innovation closer to the desired patient outcome, while engaging with policymakers opens doors to more inclusive access for all.
Lessons from Both Sides of the Counter
Standing on both sides of the healthcare counter — first as a pharmacist, now as a CEO — has given me a unique perspective.
From my days in practice, I learned the importance of listening before acting. Patients often reveal the most critical details in casual conversation — a symptom or allergy they almost forgot to mention, a financial concern they are embarrassed to admit. These moments of trust are where real care begins.
From the boardroom, I learned that strategy must be grounded in reality. Data, forecasts, and market trends are essential, but they can mean very little without understanding the lives and experiences of the people they represent. In healthcare, business decisions are never abstract but heavily depend on individuals whose wellbeing, or even lives, may depend on them.
The Road Ahead
Looking back, my journey has never been about stepping away as a Pharmacist, but to further its reach and impact. I am grateful for the skills, empathy, and patient-first mindset I had a chance to develop during my practice have shaped many decisions I make in the boardroom.
For me, the path from being a pharmacist to business executive has always been about finding where I can make the greatest impact.
At first, it was behind the counter, making sure one patient at a time had the right guidance and treatment. Today, it’s to make sure thousands of patients across the country can acquire the medicines they need, particularly those that are rare, complex, or hard to find.
Therefore, to all my fellow young pharmacists out there, I would say this: your career in healthcare can take many forms. Some find their calling in clinical practice, others in research, policy, or like me, in business. What matters most is that you use your skills and passion to close the gaps that matter — because every role, when done with purpose, contributes to better patient care.
Because, isn’t that why we chose this profession in the first place?
About the Author
Kean Ping Lim, CEO of Pharm-D and a member of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS), began his journey into pharmacy after he vowed to better understand and manage medicines during his teenage years. Over time, his focus grew beyond personal motivation to championing the profession, advocating for improved treatment access, better patient care, and stronger public awareness of pharmacists’ vital role in healthcare. He is also a medical columnist for Sin Chew Daily.
