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5G wireless: a ridiculous front for global control
First, two quotes to give a bit of background. 5G speed, for people who must download a whole season of their favorite show in two seconds: “It’s the next (fifth) generation of cellular technology which promises to greatly enhance the speed, coverage and responsiveness of wireless networks. How fast are we talking about? Think 10…
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Prime Air – The Amazon Solution for Internet-ordered products is not quite ready for take-off
Amazon has invested time and money to speed up its shipping services. It has algorithms that anticipate a client order, ultra-efficient robots that pick items from warehouses, and even a service titled Prime Now that delivers allowable items to your doorstep, just hours after you order them. Amazon’s primary focus appears to be to market and control totally an…
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Analysis of new and Existing Global Retail Market Entrants and Their Effect on all retailers and Australian Pharmacy, and the Privatisation of Health
Indications are that at least two global retailers are in the process of setting up shop in Australia – Amazon, and the German-based Kaufland group (both having selected distribution sites in Melbourne), and a third, Costco, recently arrived in Australia, has major expansion plans. Aldi, established in Australia since the year 2000, has significantly altered…
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Why Amazon’s Entry to the Australian Pharmacy Market May Drive Cultural Change, New Innovation and Promote Young Pharmacists
Amazon is about to enter the Australian retail market and is known to be interested in adding pharmacy to its retail mix of products and services. Amazon has developed “entry point technology” to a consumer’s home. It is called the Echo system and it is powered by voice activation technology called “Alexa” which is of…
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A Glimpse of the Future – The King Review Interim Report Nightmare
That the King Review is a front for something more sinister would be obvious to most pharmacists and the industry at large. That it purports to be a review towards a positive future for community pharmacy is an insult to anyone’s intelligence. i2P has already made the case for what the real agenda for Australian…
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Here’s a Glimpse into the Future of Work: No Monitors, just 3-D Holograms
The subject of Artificial Intelligence has been discussed through possible applications in the physical replacement of humans in specialised work areas (like pharmacists and doctors, retail environments and offices-just for starters) and what would the New World look like after such a massive social disruption. (see Avatars May Take Over Patient Communications – Where to from…
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Robots + AI = Rx Replacement?
In an earlier article (Avatars May Take Over Patient Communications – Where to from there?, I discussed the possibility of pharmacists being able to be displaced, especially in the area of drug information delivery to patients. Big Pharma has always wanted to be able to advertise directly to patients because they know the power of…
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Micro-practice – Future Direction for Pharmacy
I2P has long proposed that pharmacy attracts two types of consumers – customers and patients. A little reflection will resolve this issue because clearly, customers will be attracted to the more commercialised aspects of pharmacy that compete with retailing in general, and the reason why pharmacists see their major competitors as supermarkets and variety stores.…
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Design Thinking- What it is
Design thinking is not new but it has been evolving more rapidly since 1960 as a valid management process described as: * A unified framework for innovation * An essential tool for simplifying and humanising It has evolved by appropriating many of the best tools and techniques from creative fields, social and computer sciences. Design…
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Your Dispensary – Core Business Could Evaporate
This year will be “crunch time” for most community pharmacies who have not yet decided on adopting disruptive technologies as a means of improving the “bottom line” of their pharmacy. I am thinking specifically the decision to purchase a robotic dispensing machine. It is almost a “no-brainer”. Robotic dispensing equipment has been available to pharmacy…