Workplace reviews and discussion: 皇佳化學製藥股份有限公司

Providing some information for Taiwanese people who are considering joining. I recently learned that the company is recruiting Indonesians.

I haven’t worked with every medication, so I’m writing about what I know and have seen.

I heard from senior employees that there are 130 medications in total.

The smell at the entrance on the second floor is the strongest. Wearing an N95 can completely block it out; the other rooms are more manageable. N95 masks can block most medication odors and side effects (most of them, anyway. If there is too much medication powder, the N95 will become ineffective, so it depends on the amount of medication being made).

General operating process (注意!!! This is only a general outline, because not all 130 medications follow this process. Some may not require granulation, kneading, or whatever):

1. Use a cart to move the raw materials. There is a lift at the entrance, then return the cart.

2. Prepare the bags. For example, for four batches (three 20-kilogram bags + one 50-kilogram bag), the ropes are in the metal cabinet in the pulverizing room. Tie the bags with a slipknot.

Note: The bags must be tied securely. Although this may sound obvious, things really do happen when the bags aren’t tied properly.

Then check the medication. This also requires attention.

Then manually sift it. Note: If you are tall, I recommend using a lunge stance to lower your body. That way, your spine won’t get sore after sifting for a long time.

3. Mixing room: Put the materials into the mixer and start mixing (the mixing time differs for each medication, so follow the instructions in the book—the “secret manual”). Then prepare a rectangular metal box (there is a pile of metal boxes around the corner between the break area and the work area), as well as bags (the blue barrel in the corner of the front office contains large 50-kg bags and small 20-kg bags; the black bags are in the first-floor office. These are used for light-sensitive medications, and the experienced workers there will explain it. I happened to work with heart medication).

Then pour the medication from the mixer into the bags (this requires two people: one uses a scoop to pour the medication into the bag, while the other turns the mixer according to instructions).

Then prepare a cart, put the bags on it, and transport them to the kneading room. In general, this is the kneading room; then organize everything properly.

4. Kneading room: Put the prepared batches of medication bags in.

(注意!!! The large bags can get caught on a rod in the middle of the kneader, which usually hooks onto the large lid and causes the large bags to tear. Prevent the torn large bags from mixing with the raw materials.)

Usually, the first kneading cycle is 3 minutes, the second is 6 minutes, and the third is 1 minute, after which the contents are poured out (usually, anyway).

注意!!! Kneading the medication powder turns it into granules.

The kneading time is not always the same. Also, some medications have low heat resistance and form large chunks. So, well, you really have to rely on experience.

5. Granulation room: There is a dry granulator at the entrance. I haven’t used the wet granulator; it is usually on the third floor. There isn’t much to operate: use a scoop to put the medication powder in, replenish it when it is nearly empty, and then pour it into the large drum of the fluidized-bed dryer OR onto metal trays for baking in the dryer.

6. Drying room (ovens) and fluidized-bed drying room: New employees usually aren’t allowed to operate the fluidized-bed dryer; experienced employees operate it. New employees help pour the large drums of granulated material or the medication bags into the large drum.

7. Pulverizing room: I didn’t operate the equipment there; it was always operated by experienced employees or supervisors. New employees clean there and place the medication bags next to the pulverizer.

(Some medications have particles that are too large and need to be pulverized; after pulverizing, they go into the dryer.)

8. Mixing and tablet compression: Put the dried medication powder into the mixer. After mixing, prepare a metal bucket (the metal buckets are usually on the first floor), rope, paper, and a marker (these are usually together near the edge of a wall outside the drying room, along with a homemade utility knife). Record the weight (be sure to check the weight of the final large bag), write the medication number on the bag, tie it securely, and send it down to the tablet compression room.

The above is the general basic process.

The actual situation depends on the “secret manual.” And even after reading the “secret manual,” some medications are still different.

It’s complicated—far too damn complicated.

An N95 will be your strongest defense, unless you have strong resistance to the medication.

It’s rare for your entire face to be covered in medication, especially pigment.

Heavy lifting: The two stages that require some strength are pouring the medication in the mixing room and pouring it in the kneading room. Pouring the medication in the mixing room mainly requires muscular endurance (continuous effort).

Pouring the medication in the kneading room usually takes 3 or 6 minutes, so there is time to rest.

This is essentially operator-type work.

The coworkers are very nice; there’s just one person who is really annoying. (If you often interact with your grandmother, you’ll be able to adapt to the personality of the “vegetable-hauling grandma” there.)

No one is 100% satisfied. If you can adapt to 70%, you should be laughing happily in your dreams.