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Returning home recently from spending a month touring the UK and Ireland, attempting, unsuccessfully at times, to ignore pharmacy and pharmacists, I was interested to read two papers in The Pharmacy Journal bemoaning where British pharmacy is heading.
In the November 9th issue, Lloyd Matowe asks “How should the profession respond to pharmacy’s poor public image? followed by Hermant Patel’s call to “Wake up! Community pharmacy could be on the path to oblivion, unless we take action now.” November 16th.

Here in Australia, we might find it difficult to relate to the Matowe paper.
Pharmacists here do not suffer from poor public image, rating either number one or two in the “most trusted profession” list for many years.
Patel decries the lack of pharmacy involvement in the NHS new planning framework but here the federal budget set aside significant funds for pharmacy to be involved in new health initiatives.
As Professor Julius Sumner-Miller was want to ask “Why is this so?” leading me to look for possible reasons.
The first thing that springs to mind is the difference in how pharmacy presents itself in the two countries. I was surprised to see how (almost) diffident the average pharmacy appeared in the UK, with only the large chains seeming to be willing to advertise their presence.
Boots shops were large, well lit and professional looking, very much like the majority of pharmacies in Australia.
The others were so understated that, unless you either knew where to look or fell over them, it was difficult to find one.
Thus, the first difference is, therefore, how convenient it is to find a pharmacy and the degree of confidence inspired in the customer.
Australian pharmacists, in general, work in surroundings that lead customers to the belief that they are competent and professional.

People are for ever saying that “It’s a small world” and I can attest to this.
While in Southern Ireland we went on a bus tour around the Ring of Kerry.
Stopping for afternoon tea in a small village I decided to take a walk to talk to the local pharmacist only to discover that, not only did he know where Perth was, but had worked here some years ago.
Certainly helped to break the ice!
Talking to him highlights that, although there are differences in the funding of drugs in Eire as compared to Australia, the basic process is comparable.
So where is the difference?
According to my new pharmacist friend, clinical services in community pharmacy are nowhere as progressive as they are here.
Thus, a second difference.
Australian pharmacists have the scope to progress beyond being mere suppliers of medicines.
Pharmacy here is becoming more involved in health promotion and QUM programmes.
Following much effort by pharmacy here, we are being seen as health professionals rather than as glorified shopkeepers.
Am I being unduly optimistic?
At least, here, we are classified as professional and not as “non-manual” as has occurred in the UK.
In Dublin I spoke to the manager of a Boots pharmacy about the use of computers.
It seems that we, in Australia, are once again more advanced.
The chain pharmacies are moving ahead but the independents are struggling.
There have been no UK/Irish government “incentives” to computerise therefore community pharmacy is lagging behind us here and struggles to advance professionally.
A third difference - pharmacy in Australia is more progressive.
The lack of computer applications is in marked difference to other areas of business in the UK where web-based commerce is very evident.
A final difference (and one that my fellow columnists may not agree with) is the power of the large chains. Talking to people in the UK it was interesting to hear how they spoke about their pharmacists.
The relationships between pharmacists and clients that are common here, seem to be missing over there. It is hard to imagine an advertising campaign telling customers to “Ask your family chemist” being successful.
Chain pharmacies are forcing out the small, one pharmacist, businesses and customers seem to not think of the pharmacist as a friendly health professional.
The Australian norm of having the pharmacist proprietor in attendance for much of the time is uncommon in the larger UK pharmacies, where lack of continuity of professional input due to changing staff is a regular occurrence.
Is it any wonder that UK pharmacy has a poor public image?
Are multiple pharmacy chains the source of poor image?
The thrust to ease pharmacy ownership restrictions in Australia concerns me after seeing the effect of such deregulation on my holiday.
Will a Woolworth’s Pharmacy chain be any more “personal” than a Boots Pharmacy is in England?

Pharmacy in Australia has the backing of a large proportion of the population, giving it some political clout. Trust ratings indicate that the general public, on the whole, approves of how pharmacy is doing here.
The Pharmacy Guild has, much as it pains me to say it, been a powerful and effective negotiator in dealing with government.
Pharmacists are often involved in health planning decisions, with input from the profession being regularly sought by government authorities.
Australian pharmacy thus appears to be in a much stronger position than its counterpart in the UK.
I have a daughter and son who are both pharmacists (hospital & community respectively) so please, please think before making decisions now that we may regret in later years.

A Happy Family Christmas wish for all readers, and a safe New Year. From Ken Stafford