Welcome to the current edition of i2P (Information to Pharmacists) E-Magazine dated Monday 11 June 2018.
Since the year 2000, i2P has been consistently exploring ideas, information and concepts in order to maintain a sense of direction for pharmacists through what has been an extremely difficult period, made doubly so by the ascendancy and power imbalance created by Global Pharma’s.
During this period the influence exerted on the development,research and interpretation of science has evolved to what can only be described as a corrupt marketing culture.
You need only to look at the marketing of vaccines and the accompanying flawed science that finds its way into coercive government policy to know how far we have strayed from the practice advancing good health processes.
The medical profession has been strongly influenced by global pharma lobbying and financial inputs, to the extent that drug industry payments to doctors have to be formally registered in order for government to keep track of the level of influence involved.
It seems that the drug industry favours elimination of any health modality that modifies the sale of patented medicines, so natural medicine modalities face continuous attacks on their right to exist.
Pharmacy practice, even though it is heavily engaged with mainstream medicine also comes under attack because its complementary and alternative medicine “roots” are not in accord with Big Pharma marketing objectives.
The medical profession has basically “fronted” for this dysfunctional culture, but there are signs of some small cracks appearing in this cultural fabric.
This culture has also been responsible for a slow-down in the progression of pharmacy development and practice coupled with the systemic problems of a PBS system reaching the end of its life cycle.
Pharmacy “core practice” has been correctly identified as needing to embrace a higher service content balanced with traditional dispensing and supply chain function.
It is now time that community pharmacy takes up the challenge to reinvent itself by shrugging off the continuous pharma/medical profession interference and simply sharpen its focus to get on with the job.
That job involves designing community pharmacies that are larger in physical size and create a form of a “health hub” embracing clinical pharmacy services and hosting other health modalities to create choice and diversity for patients.
That also involves collaboration with those members of the medical profession that have held fast to ethical values in health, despite their aggressive leaders preaching a different tune.
The lead article in this edition illustrates that a collaborative process can exist for mutual benefit and respect for all – patient, pharmacist and doctor.
Pharmacy consultancy programs should be developed only to service an unmet need in a clearly defined health segment and basically engage patients initially in health literacy consultations
The community pharmacy that needs to emerge is one that will facilitate and host a range of diverse health services delivered in carefully designed clinical spaces within each pharmacy.
Retailing will still remain a strong feature, but crafted as a mechanism to recruit new customers that creates a pool of potential patients.
The primary pharmacy marketing effort evolves around methods of customer-to-patient conversion.
Adopting the above strategy keeps pharmacy direction towards a unique core business that will be supported by patients – the reason for being.
Our lead article for this edition describes such a concept.
Sometimes you read about a certain concept and it just “feels right”.
The pilot study described in the lead article has just that “feel”.
First reported in the UK Pharmaceutical Journal, it describes a collaboration between Community Pharmacists and local GP’s, in the County of Staffordshire in the UK.
It is a respectful and shared collaboration (not a master-servant relationship) that solves a number of major problems – incorrect prescribing of antibiotics, eliminates the cost of wasteful use of GP services, increases health literacy opportunities by pharmacists and provides high levels of patient satisfaction.
And overall, reduces a range of costs within the public health system.
Most importantly, the collaborative builds on existing resources innovatively without having to “reinvent the wheel”.
Read: A Sensible Community Pharmacy & GP Collaboration
Gerald Quigley is back and poses a rhetorical question as to whether community pharmacists are able to make a difference for patients suffering mental health issues.
So here is an actual unmet need that deserves attention.
The real question proposed by the writer of this article is, how do we design a system that recruits suitable patients, measures progress of any interventional activity and may involve collaboration with other specialist health providers?
And above all provide high levels of patient satisfaction, while simultaneously reducing costs to the health system overall.
A bit like the Respiratory Tract Infection pilot study that forms i2P’s lead article for this edition – a model that could be adapted to an entire range of health issues and create opportunities for community pharmacists in health literacy consultations and biometric measurements.
Read: Can we make a difference on mental health?
OMNS is a global organisation formed to promote and advocate for the science of clinical nutrition – a safe modality with a low side effect or adverse event profile.
Because its use often safely replaces or reduces the doses of mainstream medicines it is often positioned by Global Pharma as an “enemy” to be attacked at every opportunity.
The reality is that clinical nutrition is a useful modality for the health and wellbeing of everyone yet it is attacked through fabricated evidence.
Read: OMNS – How to Bash Vitamins with a Meta-Analysis
As a pharmacist do you belong to a culture promoting “first do no harm”?
If so, do you feel comfortable about knowing the death rate and health carnage attributed to mainstream medicines?
If you are part of a vaccination program can you genuinely say that you inform your patients completely and accurately and get a genuine consent from those patients before you administer a vaccine?
As a pharmacist do you think that it is your professional responsibility to protect your patients from the potential dangers of any drug you dispense?
Do you genuinely and actively engage in that type of patient conversation?
If not, why not?
US investigative journalist, Jon Rappoport describes these concerns.
Read: The secret behind the secret – Media won’t investigate medically-caused death numbers
“The science is settled”.
So say the people who promote vaccination as some form of extreme medical ideology.
“Scientism is settled” is a more accurate description of the manipulation of the science surrounding vaccines – and it is certainly “unsettling” to hear the dishonest claims that blare out in all forms of media.
“First do no harm” is the concept that underwrites all medical practice.
Australian vaccination policy is so poor and damaging, that it beggars belief that legislators can be so close to manufacturer sales objectives as to guarantee them a market through coercive legislation that involves simultaneous removal of patient choice.
The evidence supporting vaccine policy failure and its lack of safety is becoming so voluminous that it will eventually destroy the unnatural power alliance that desperately tries to hold it all together.
Read: The Safe Vaccine Debate – 1. Dr Judy Wilyman: Newsletters #199 & #200 2. Robert Kennedy’s World Mercury Project: Are Cochrane Reviews Truly “Independent and Transparent”? 3. Jon Rappoport: Police raid scientists who discovered new vaccine dangers
WHO has made a statement saying that cannabis should be decriminalised world-wide because existing laws cause health discrimination.
In Australia, patients are being actively discriminated against as police are instructed to enforce existing laws and close down “illegal” supplies, leaving critically ill people with no workable solutions for their health problems.
Flawed health policy generates bad laws and lowered community respect for policy and laws.
Yet again, Pharmacy is in a position to provide solutions very simply and simultaneously create opportunity for the profession to treat chronically ill patients efficiently and economically. Pharmacy leaders need to be proactive in the regulatory area because other health professionals are actively competing to lock pharmacy out of any opportunity whatsoever.
Potential for pharmacists is found in the compounding of THC and CBD in specific ratios to match the best result for patients with chronic illness.
Further pharmacist potential also lies in using cannabinoids in harm minimisation programs involving opioid dependencies and as an adjunct for the management of pain.
Pharmacists also need to be active and have a voice in the regulation of these substances ensuring that maximum patient access can be obtained through the application of Schedule 3 of the Poison’s Act.
Read: Understanding Medical Cannabis – 1. Scoop Health: Review of Cannabis by the World Health Organisation 2. Australia21: WHAT IF POLICE STOPPED ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR DRUG USE? FIRST HAND ACCOUNT 3. CannabisTech: Chromatography – A Badge Of Integrity
Barry Urquhart is back with a series of essays and articles reflecting the customer service and pricing difficulties of a range of businesses outside of pharmacy.
Pharmacy experiences the same range of problems so comments made are translatable to a pharmacy environment.
While one industry is currently attracting some adverse press at the moment (banking industry) it is a reflection of the problem of top management losing touch with the needs of their customers coupled with a poor vision and culture to guide the entire organisation.
Pharmacy, as well as any other health profession, is vulnerable to the same issues, and strategies need to be constantly reviewed so as not to fall down those “black” holes.
Read: Marketing Focus – 1. IT’S TIME – TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT SERVICE 2.CONNECTED, NOT ENGAGED – COULD BE OUTRAGED 3. ELASTICITY-PRICES: DEMAND OR LOYALTY? 4. CUSTOMER SERVICE SKILLS UNSHACKLED
We conclude this edition of i2P with a range of media releases from two of pharmacy’s leadership organisations.
ASMI – ASMI Media Releases – Pregnant Women Reminded to Check Medicines with Healthcare Professionals
We hope you enjoy our current content and join the debate by inserting comment in the panel provided at the foot of each article.
Neil Johnston
Editor, i2P E-Magazine
Monday 11 June 2018