E-DRUG: pharmacy drivers (cont)
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Dear e-druggers
My intention with starting this debate was firstly to try and point out
that the very group of people lobbying against postal deliveries, are
often those who perform scooter deliveries (without providing one
-on-one counselling in the majority of instances - anybody able to prove
me wrong on this?). Although I am currently employed in another
environment, I do a substantial number of retail locums per year and am
therefore able to give an opinion based on what I regularly experience
in retail pharmacies.
If at least all retail pharmacists made use of their computer
programme's facilities to supply printed drug info with every delivery,
the argument would be partly invalid, but even this is not supplied by
all pharmacies who run delivery services.
I am more than aware that retail pharmacy services ( and therefore drug
delivery to homes ) constitutes but a small section of the total
pharmaceutical service in this country, but it does affect a substantial
section of the economically active population who deserves added value
for what they are spending on health services. Furthermore we are still
bound by ethical rules in this regard, regardless of the population
section we are dealing with.
On numerous locums, I have come across clients/patients that had already
been on chronic medication for months and even years , but who are not
aware of the most basic facts regarding their medication ( milk and
antacids while using tetracyclines, alcohol and metronidazole, food and
nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, driving a vehicle while on benzo's
or antihistamines, etc)
Drawing this argument through to hospital pharmacists and assistants -
how many of us supply useful and user friendly information when
"dishing" out packets and packets of prepacked medicine through a window
at an overstressed outpatient clinic? Having left that environment years
ago, I am hesitant to make accusations, but I suspect that the situation
may have deteriorated in certain settings rather than improved.
Introspection is urgently required if we want to remain the medicine
custodians. Shouting about postal deliveries are not going to bring us
anywhere unless some of us are willing to look wider than our safe
little tunnels. ( And I haste to add that this is not intended as an
unfair generalisation).
I am not of the opinion that training pharmacy drivers in drug
counselling or even detecting drug problems is good enough. Where are
we heading to?
However, if deliveries have to be done by unskilled persons, how many
pharmacists are in the position to follow up every delivery with a phone
call to supply the necessary information first hand?
Perhaps it has become time to limit drug deliveries to client homes,
except if performed in emergency situations, by skilled staff such as
pharmacists or pharmacist assistants (home delivery is a luxury, seldom
a necessity, which is mostly a business and marketing tool and which
has been robbing clients from direct contact and a counselling
opportunity with their pharmacist for decades, while ironically serving
as a tool to win clients). It remains a convenience for customers that
I'm convinced they would not like to lose completely, but which could be
charged for in cases of emergency or need! After all, are we not in the
process of trying to obtain remuneration for our professional services?
If we are willing to go to those lengths, we have a foot to stand on in
eradicating postal and similar delivery systems for drugs.
Rina Meyer
Me C.L Meyer
P.O. Box 20224 NOORDBRUG 2522 South Africa
Tel: +27 18 2992228 (w)
Fax: +27 18 2992225
cell: +27 82 9247972
e-mail: FKLCLM@PUKNET.PUK.AC.ZA
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