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What are you Competing on?
The profession is going backwards. Seth Godin has obviously attended APP16…..here’s his latest and it’s so timely as many pharmacists try and emulate the yellow box method. What are you competing on? It’s pretty easy to figure out what you’re competing for—attention, a new gig, a promotion, a sale… But what is your edge? In […]
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Community Pharmacy or Commodity Pharmacy?
Are pharmacies becoming a glamorised outlet for widely advertised complementary and over-the-counter medicines that require no skill to “pack and wrap”? Sales based on an advertisement in weekend papers (all heavily discounted of course!) and sales of nutritionals into China are driving our professionalism underground. Pharmacists who have never entertained supporting a particular complementary medicine […]
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Diluting the debate
When we are asked what sort of tea we want at a cafè, we select an option. We know what we want – English breakfast tastes different that Earl Grey, Green Tea and others. So, we acknowledge that teas have different properties, different tastes, different “actives”. What is it then so hard for pharmacists to […]
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Ethical weight loss?
What an interesting link between Novo Nordisk and their pharmacist-led weight-loss support program! This is a clinical trial of a human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and is a hormone that suppresses appetite. Using the former National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia as a brand ambassador might even add some credibility to enhance the uptake […]
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Panadol Osteo? Give me a break!
It’s a little hard to believe that the biggest talking point in health early in 2016 is the price rise around Panadol Osteo. This is happening at a time when the entire health (or illness) system is bursting at the seams, and the role of the pharmacist within this system is under ever-increasing scrutiny, We’re […]
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Confused over chromium?
It’s often difficult to get the true picture when you hear and read a sensational report about a nutritional supplement causing cancer. Erin Brockovich brought chromium into the spotlight because of the 2000 movie and book, in which there was shown to be a link between an elevated cluster of illnesses, including cancer, to hexavalent […]
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Interesting weight loss perception
The Australian Doctor online flashed an interesting headline recently titled “10 weight-loss products pharmacists push most”. Other than the offensive tone of the actual headline, it serves a timely reminder that weight loss is not solved by simply selling a product. So, in spite of this belittling attack, let’s look at what is implied here. […]
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Antibiotics – are we doing out bit?
Reduced antibiotic prescribing is associated with lower patient satisfaction on the national General Practice Patient Survey, according to a new study by King’s College London. The NHS GP Patient Survey is a component of the NHS Quality Outcomes Framework that informs GP’s pay-for-performance. Do we support our local GP’s decision not to prescribe an antibiotic? […]
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A Healthy Relationship?
The 2nd Annual Blackmore’s Institute Symposium 2015, held in Melbourne late last month, was titled “Translating Research into Practice”. The speaker line-up was impressive, as their workbook states, “catering for the clinical needs of a wide spectrum of healthcare professionals, including general practitioners, pharmacists, naturopaths, nutritionists and complementary medicine practitioners”. I was therefore surprised at […]
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Hay fever options
An interesting article written by a number of academics promises to give some relief to the 15% of Australians who experience hay fever, or allergic rhinitis. Predictably, they list oral and nasal decongestants, antihistamines, nasal steroid sprays and immunotherapy as the best medical options. I was therefore surprised to note the absence of isotonic saline […]