10 November 2025 marked another key milestone in Singapore’s healthcare standardisation journey with the successful completion of the SS644:2025 Virtual Workshop – Guidelines for the Supply and Delivery of Medication. The workshop, organised by the Centre of Regulatory Excellence – Standards Development Organisation (CoRE-SDO), brought together healthcare leaders, logistics experts, and policymakers to advance safer, more efficient, and patient-centric medication delivery across the nation.
Reinforcing Trust and Resilience
The session opened with Dr Yong Chern Chet, Chair of Biomedical and Health Standards Committee (BHSC), who underscored the pivotal role of standardisation in supporting Singapore’s healthcare transformation. He highlighted that standards like SS644 build trust, safety, and traceability, ensuring patients receive their medications securely—whether through home delivery, lockers, or other innovative distribution channels.
Ms Yang Fan, Head of CoRE-SDO, followed with an overview of Singapore’s evolving standardisation ecosystem. She emphasised how CoRE-SDO, appointed by Enterprise Singapore to support BHSC, continues to elevate biomedical and health standards through close collaboration among industry players, regulators, and research institutions.
The Evolution of SS644:2025
Tracing the standard’s journey, Ms Corrinne Tan, Convenor of the SS644:2025 Working Group, reflected on its pioneering beginnings. First published in 2019, SS644 was the world’s first national standard to guide medication delivery to patients’ preferred locations. The 2025 revision integrates lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to enhance safety, security, and traceability across the supply chain.
Ms Lim Woan Chyi, a member of the Working Group, introduced key updates, including:
- Clearer guidance on handling controlled drugs (CDs);
- Expanded provisions for locker-based and contactless deliveries;
- Introduction of Authorisation to Leave (ATL) procedures with documented patient consent;
- Strengthened packaging, temperature management, and incident reporting protocols.
Ms Lim emphasised that the revision adopts an operations-focused, risk-based approach, ensuring its practicality for pharmacies, logistics partners, and telemedicine providers.
Industry Perspectives: From Hospitals to Lockers
Real-world experiences took centre stage as practitioners shared how SS644:2025 translates into tangible improvements.
Ms Isabelle Teo, Principal Pharmacist at Woodlands Health, shared that referencing SS644:2025 has enabled the healthcare cluster to streamline processes and expand delivery access, particularly benefiting patients using parcel lockers and those requiring controlled drugs.
From the logistics front, Mr New Soon Tee, CEO of Pick Network, presented how Singapore’s nationwide locker system supports secure, 24/7 medication collection while boosting productivity and sustainability. He reported more than 1,400 successful pilot deliveries, with most parcels collected within 18 hours.
Adding to this, Ms Neo Su Yin, Group COO of SingPost, illustrated how the postal giant has operationalised SS644:2025 across cold-chain and ambient deliveries. By integrating temperature-controlled systems, deploying electrified fleets, and expanding to over 1,500 lockers, SingPost demonstrates how logistics innovation and healthcare standards can align to enhance accessibility and reduce carbon footprint.
Collaborative Dialogue: Managing the Heat of the Matter
An engaging panel discussion moderated by Ms Corrinne Tan concluded the workshop, featuring speakers from Pick Network, Watsons Singapore, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Ministry of Health, ST Logistics, and ALPS Healthcare.
The discussion delved into temperature management challenges in last-mile delivery and explored emerging locker-based solutions that minimise exposure risks while improving patient convenience. Participants underscored the importance of continued collaboration to future-proof Singapore’s healthcare logistics ecosystem.
Setting the Standard for the Future
The revised SS644:2025 provides a robust framework for the secure, traceable, and compliant delivery of medications from licensed premises to patients. Available now via the Singapore Standards eShop, it reflects Singapore’s commitment to integrating patient safety, operational excellence, and sustainability in healthcare delivery.
As Singapore advances toward a more connected and resilient healthcare system, SS644:2025 stands as both a symbol of innovation and a safeguard of trust—ensuring that every prescription delivered, whether to a doorstep or a locker, arrives with confidence and care.