Despite
the situation of over thirty years ago when everyone wanted to get
into medicine and only the unlucky ones who failed to make it were
relegated to pharmacy as the second option that was looked upon
with pity by the lucky bright medical students, the tables have
turned.
Now the pharmacists are top of the trusted tree, have retired well
off with no mortgages, mercs or better, holidays at call and "the
occasional medical review when fancy takes them".
The medicos are battling still with mortgage commitments, 16 hour
days, no breaks due to no available locums and the threats of litigation
with escalating indemnity.
The question
asked in the article - "How did the self-sacrificing healers,
who often work for a pittance, are on call nights and weekends,
and never seem to get a break, lose out in the credibility stakes
to pharmacists who (lets face it) really are shopkeepers?"
Perhaps there
is the rub!
Commerce always seems to win out materially over a service orientation.
And yet each GP surgery is a small business like the pharmacy
next door with all the same problems of everyday functioning.
Are the pharmacists ahead for reasons other than the professional
service delivery?
How many of
us as pharmacists have walked out of the 'shop'into other areas
of practice because of the split personality of the shop life.
I, and many of my colleagues resent and am bored by highly qualified
professionals selling newspapers, laundry detergent, dry cleaning,
stamps, lipsticks, snakeoil and the myriad of paraphernalia and
potions that grace the pharmacies (and return the buck) and at
the same time sending a resounding message into the community
and to fellow professionals that we are "really shopkeepers".
Some pharmacists
have openly declared that they are "too busy" to worry
about the new professional services they are asked to organise
for customers.
That there is not enough money in it for them to be involved!
That may be so when compared to the return from running the "shop"
but can we as a profession really choose to ignore our professional
responsibility.
If we do someone will step in and do this in our stead. And the
corporates (dare I print the names) are acutely aware of the golden
egg that may be theirs from the pharmacy they perceive to be profitable.
So where does that leave those pharmacists left holding the baby?
The answer
may well be to work more closely with our medico colleagues, commit
to a professional service orientation and let the paraphernalia
go.
We may also
like it better that way.
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HEATHER
PYM