How can we use technology to help hospitals reduce wastage of high-cost drugs? The current system of managing inventory for high-cost drugs is very manual, resulting in human errors that cause hospitals to write off expired drugs that could have been used to treat patients and save lives.
A team of undergraduates from NTU School of Biological Sciences (SBS) with Double Major in Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness (BsB) took part in a case-competition to help hospitals reduce wastage of high-cost drugs. Their solution came in 2nd place in the ST Logistics Innovation Challenge 2021!
Congratulations to Team JSNCE’s:
- Ong Wei Wen (Evan)
- Lin Ming (Chloe)
- Tey Siew Choo (Natalie)
- Tan Zhe Jun (Jay)
- Sherianne Tan Yen Tze
Let’s pick their brains to find out more about their project and motivations behind it.
Q1: Understand you are the first batch of undergraduates pursuing a Double Major in Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness (BsB) in NTU SBS. Why did you choose to study this programme?
Wei Wen: Not many dare to say this, but I’ve always aspired to be a bio-entrepreneur since my poly days as I’m not afraid to venture into the unknown. The first-hand experiences and know-how I gained from my poly specialization in BioEnterprise (inaugural batch) sparked my passion to find meaning and solutions in a career beyond research that can potentially change or save people’s lives. In the hopes of realising my ambition, I decided to join BsB as I felt that its unique curriculum and exchange programme at CBS will be able to grant me further insights into the biomedical space and provide me with an optimal environment to challenge my creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.
Lin Ming: I have always been interested in biology and its endless applications in the medical industry. I chose this programme as I felt that it would give me the opportunity to learn more about the development and commercialisation of medical innovations. The cross-training in both biomedical science and biobusiness knowledge would also help me in reaching my goal of leveraging life science technologies to bring exciting innovations to the market, transforming medical care.
Siew Choo: I had a strong passion for Biomedical Sciences and thought that pursuing a double major in Biomedical Sciences and BioBusiness would allow me to gain more knowledge with relevance to the healthcare sector. I felt that this course would provide me with exposure to foundational knowledge and skills required in business departments of medical technology companies and healthcare institutions.
Zhe Jun: Growing up, while studying Biology, I was often intrigued by its synergy with technology to better human’s lives. When I came across BSB, I knew I had the opportunity to embark on a journey to learn more about the things that go behind biotechnological innovations and their commercialisation processes. The opportunity to go for an exchange programme at Copenhagen Business School is also a rare opportunity for SBS students to challenge our thoughts and ideas in a highly professional environment.
Sherianne: Personally, I had a strong passion for biology in JC, but I was more interested in translating research findings into actual tangible products for the healthcare industry. I felt that this course would give me a strong foundation in both biomedical science and more specialised business knowledge, especially with the upcoming overseas exchange programme with Copenhagen Business School where we will be taking modules from their MSc in Bioentrepreneurship course. The course also provides us with multiple opportunities for internships which have helped to shape our understanding of Singapore’s biotech market.
Q2: What is the awarded project about?
Our project centres around the inventory management of high-cost medications in hospital pharmacies through technology. Currently, pharmacists must manually carry out stock counts across multiple storage locations, keep track of expiry dates and monitor the unpredictable demand for such drugs. This has resulted in huge costs incurred from writing off expired drugs.
Our team JSNCE (read as ‘Just Nice’) came up with a simple, yet elegant RFID-enabled inventory management solution known as ‘Tag On Track’, which strives to utilize an array of RFID products and an integrated dashboard to automate inventory management and provide pharmacists end-to-end visibility on inventory movement, all in real-time.
Q3: What made the team join / submit your project for the ST Logistics Innovation Challenge?
We were just looking for additional learning opportunities in solving real-life problems apart from hypothetical ones. We decided to give different healthcare related challenges a try, to gain exposure to the problems faced in the different sectors of healthcare.
As such, we were intrigued by this problem statement given by ST Logistics as its focus on pharmacies gave us a new perspective to consider. We would also like to give our immense gratitude to Assoc. Chair of NTU SBS Prof Li Hoi Yeung who encouraged us at every step of the way and provided his invaluable input in improving our final pitch.
Q4: Any tips or advice for anyone interested to join the BioBusiness programme with NTU SBS?
During your 4 years of University, look for opportunities beyond your curriculum to learn more about the industries you can venture into. Take on training courses, competitions, additional internships during summer holidays, or interesting research projects because who knows? One of these activities may actually create a spark in you to pursue your idea during the BsB FYP or even turn it into a start-up!
If you’re aspiring to be an entrepreneur, learn to seize the day and challenge yourself to take up case-competitions organized by NTUitive and/or external organizations. They not only serve as great platforms for you to gain insights on the current pain points and trends in your target industries, but also great opportunities for you to hone and put your pitching skills to the test. From our own experiences, these valuable opportunities have also taught us how to strike a balance between being innovative yet practical, to suit the needs of our addressed stakeholders.
As most countries have different healthcare systems and regulations, it would also be good for you to understand their workings and read up more on new biomedical innovations. MedTech and BioTech are generally very niche fields and would require a lot of knowledge, be it through reading or on-job training, for one to venture deeply.
Q5: Are there any future plans to move forward with this project / Are there any other projects that you are working on as a team?
If our schedule permits, it would be great to have a chance to collaborate with STL or our school to realize this project.
Knowing ourselves, we’re always on the hunt for new opportunities and we won’t be surprised if we end up in another case-competition or even start a self-initiated project in the future.
Q6: NTU SBS is currently commemorating their 20th anniversary. Do you have a message that you would like to share with the school? (1-2 liners)
Happy 20th anniversary NTU SBS, continue to shape the minds of our hopeful generation! – Team JSNCE