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P.O Box 297.
Alstonville. 2477
NSW Australia

Phone:
61 2 66285138

My Name is Andrew Snow. I am a fourth year pharmacy student at Sydney University. I have been involved in our student organization SUPA (Sydney University Pharmacy Association) throughout my degree, and currently stand as SUPA president. SUPA as you may know, attempts to help students find a balance between the academic and social sides of university life. SUPA holds various book and equipment sales during the year plus many events such as harbour cruises, formals, and BBQs.
I have been working in a pharmacy now for about eight years. In the last two or so years, I have began to really learn and appreciate what the job as a pharmacist has to offer (so, I am no longer just cleaning shelves and sweeping the floor).
I look forward to increasing my knowledge and experience in pharmacy, and hope to provide a valuable service to improve health for patients in the future.

So, you may be wondering what this young "know it all" has to say about pharmacy?
Well, I will admit straight away, I lack experience in the pharmacy world, but this does not stop me from observing and trying to figure out what this profession is all about.
Many things interest me but some things surprise me. In this article, I would like to share an experience that shocked me as a pharmacist (and yes I would like your input to this).

It involves competition between community pharmacies.
This does have great benefit because it makes pharmacists strive to provide the best service, for a reasonable price - which is great for the patient.

But, I have already witnessed in my short career, pharmacies actually try to shoot down, and destroy their supposed "colleagues".
It appears to me, that some pharmacists are losing sight of the big picture, that the main aim is to be looking after patients to their best ability.
It appears, that some pharmacists are simply more interested in themselves.

Near to my home, a new pharmacy opened that caused great controversy.
Their prices were cheap, and local pharmacies were afraid of losing business.
Instead of accepting that a new pharmacy would be opening, several pharmacies began writing petitions, and gathering together in meetings to try think of ways to remove this pharmacy.
This does not at all seem fair from my point of view, and the situation got worse.

One of the local existing pharmacies, didn't agree on trying to destroy this new pharmacy, but instead tried to compete by lowering prices, and increasing advertising.
Because they didn't conform to the cult against the new pharmacy, they were too ridiculed and complaints were also made about them, concerning their actual legal advertising techniques.

Observing this in my local area was extremely disappointing, because there was little energy used in patient concern, but instead on how the pharmacist down the road might do better than another.
Possibly I am missing the reason or necessity of these actions?

I must admit, that mostly the bad cases become public icons.
I am sure that there are also many great relationships between different pharmacies, where they try to help each other out.

Still, this didn't set a great example for me, as a young keen pharmacist in how to succeed in the pharmacy world.
Let me know what you think of this behaviour, and how you would react if you were put in this situation (or maybe you have experienced this in your career).

I hope my article doesn't sound like a big complaint about pharmacists - because it is definitely not.
I just thought it would be a good topic for discussion, and may help pharmacists think before some irrational actions.

Thanks for reading my article,

Andrew Snow

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