Welcome to this weeks edition of i2P – Information to Pharmacists E-Magazine.
Something went wrong with our automated mail out system this week and you might have received a copy of the last edition mailed out by mistake.
Our apologies for this and we are still trying to locate the “bug”.
This week we congratulate the PGA on what looks to be a well thought out campaign to suit the current circumstances community pharmacy finds itself in.
There are opportunities inherent in the approach adopted by the PGA and if they take a whole-of-pharmacy approach they will get unified support across the board.
The actual campaign position of “Ask your pharmacist” is not new and actually dates back to the early 1800’s when the first campaign appeared in the UK.
But the message will be different and media delivery will be certainly different since the first campaign.
Mark Coleman has also researched brand campaigns and has discovered that Aldi supermarkets has won the global award for “brand simplicity”. Perhaps we may see Australian “Brand Pharmacy” appearing in these awards one day.
i2P can well understand the Aldi award and has often recommended its business model for pharmacists to study.
Gerald Quigley is worried about the “Worried Well” which is mainly the millennial demographic.
But there may be others joining the list.
Can you help him out?
We have also had a staff writer prepare some material on consumer health research which is of increasing to a wider range of consumers ranging from organic produce to nutritional supplements.
All good information for planning of pharmacy departments to cater for current consumer needs.
There is now a simple device for discovering veins in patients if there is need to use one for injection purposes.
We thought it would be a good inclusion, as pharmacists may need such a device (quite simple and economical) if they extend future health programs that might involve this administration route.
ASMI is holding its annual conference on the 18th November and looks like being a very important one for community pharmacists. CPD points are available for some of the sessions which include:
* Global retailing expert, Steve Sowerby, will share global best practice in healthcare retailing, spotlighting retailers who have successfully transformed their pharmacies into health destinations.
* Steve Mister, CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition in Washington, will outline research which supports the valuable role certain evidence-based vitamins and supplements can play in preventive health. Complementary medicines are the largest and fastest growing consumer healthcare products segment in Australia and overseas.
* Dr Alison Roberts, of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, will present findings of the Health Destination Pharmacy Trial, teasing out learnings and implications for pharmacists as Australian pharmacy moves towards the new ‘health destination’ model.
* Macquarie University Professor Scott Koslow, will reveal new research on the healthcare consumer and how their current and future behaviour can unlock savings to healthcare budgets and expand the role pharmacy plays in this mix.
* Other keynote speakers include consumer healthcare industry expert, Nicholas Hall, who will provide global insights and trends in consumer healthcare based on his 40 year international experience in the field, and one of the architects of self care in the UK, Ms Gopa Mitra MBE, who will share insights on how the UK has addressed self care to alleviate pressure on the UK’s ailing healthcare system.
There is still time to book so check out the ASMI media release section for details.
Loretta Marron is worried about all the dollars being wasted by consumers on a range of products that are not evidence-based. Check out her article so that you can avoid the pitfalls that sometimes occur in the health industry.
Plus check out the media releases for PSA and NPS and enjoy a full weeks’ read.
Editor
November 2, 2014