E-Drug: Trust & Ethical Laws (Cont)
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Dear E-druggers,
With reference to Rina Meyer's message where she wrote :-
"but what I fail to understand is that home delivery of prescription
medicines by a non-pharmacist delivery person on a scooter to a client
at home or at work, has never been an issue! Shouldn't it form part of
this debate?"
I agree fully. The whole spectrum of pharmacy needs reviewing if there
is to be any pharmaceutical care in S Africa. It is also worth noting
that the majority of S Africans are not privileged to have medicine
deliveries by scooter, bike, bakkie or mail. It is this group who
require the face to face counselling more so than the more privileged
or better educated. Are pharmacists not supposed to discern this need
and meet it?
In view of the fact that all personnel handling medicines will in the
future have to be registered with the Pharmacy Council in SA, delivery
personnel might well have the necessary qualification to handle
medicines and to counsel. The aim might then be achieved.
Kirsten Myhr also wrote today:-
''It is easy to forget that 80% of the population of the world has never
even used a telephone, let alone sent an email message."
Is this not familiar to SA? Maybe not 80% but more than 50%. Can I
conclude then by saying that e-druggers are the voice of the privileged.
Perhaps we need to broaden our input by asking those at the receiving
end, the patients, to see how they perceive their needs.
Has anyone been involved in such a study?
Regards
Mariam Cassimjee
1. KZN Pharmaceutical Services, DoH, Durban, S Africa.
2. Chairman of Practice Committee, S African Pharmacy Council.
E-mail: mimi@iafrica.com
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