Published by Computachem Services

P.O Box 297.
Alstonville. 2477
NSW Australia

Phone:
61 2 66285138

Having just returned from a month in the US I find myself reflecting on some of the pharmaceutical and medical observations I made while on holidays.
These are very much tempered by just that - on holidays in a relaxed frame of mind you see more, I think than one does on a geared up 'business' reconnoiter.
To start with I got to talk to many folks and be involved in conversations that involved 'health' talk.
It is very different at this level than as a 'professional' - perhaps more honest and the feelings and emotions are more evident, providing a more profound perspective perhaps?

This is somewhat akin to the difference in communication between doctors and patients and pharmacists and patients. It is well understood that as pharmacists we often hear another perspective of a problem and this should not be underestimated.
We stayed with friends on a ranch an hour and a half west of San Antonio in what must surely be one of the smallest towns in the US.
A post office, a church and a medical centre!
The medical centre was fully equipped except for a Doctor.
In the place of an MD was a para -medic who did all the physical examinations, prescribing and treatments. And the locals thought he was wonderful, thorough and had all faith in this system.
He cost a lot also!
Heaps - then double that!
I was told that there are not enough Doctors for country areas and that the use of a para-medic was quite usual and filled the gaps. There was a large hospital within helicopter distance and a helipad attached to the medical centre for emergencies and no doubt an MD at the end of a phone somewhere also.
Could this be the answer for rural Australia if a version of a scheme like this does not already exist?
Cholesterol levels are very important to the Americans I met - very important and everyone knows his or her levels.
Much higher than ours too as they use a different measure.
They are all on 'statins' and all the prepared food is well labeled to 'fat' content - both saturated and unsaturated plus calorific values in relation to daily requirements.
Except for the meat!
I have never seen such fat laced meat available.
None of this healthy heart red tick product we have.
The fattier the better it would appear and the serves are enormous.
They appear to be very serious in combating obesity if not very successful.
My supermarket sojourns (after a 1.5-hour drive) were very illuminating as I observed the plethora of products and the people buying them.
There were some very large people out there who eventually would be high users of an expensive health system.
As always I look at pharmacies (my husband looks at banks).
What I noticed was the number of products we would have on our shelves scheduled for pharmacies.
Most of these are stocked in the supermarket and the pharmacy attached to the supermarket is stocked quite finely.
Pharmacists are dispensing and giving very little advice on OTC products as they are away from them on supermarket shelves.
Professional areas for diabetes were common and in light of the diet and the large number of overweight people I saw I was not surprised.
Is this where Australian pharmacies should be heading?
Large pharmaceutical care areas with trained staff and fees for service and advice?
TV advertising of scheduled drugs is rife and in one TV interval during a movie there may well be two or three ads for antidepressants, anticholesterol drugs and antihistamines that are all S4 (or equivalent)
Having spoken with a number of pharmacists I learned that this advertising pays, as script volumes were up in all areas and patients have become very demanding of what they want.
The demand on doctors to prescribe and please their patients is as high as the advertising is very persuasive, and the drugs are SO safe and effective!
One of the highlights for me was on our RV (caravan) trip out even further west to real cowboy & Indian country and a stark surreal landscape where we came across a ghost town of previous mercury mine.
I was not surprised that this fascinating metal came from an equally fascinating place.
And considering the role mercury has had in pharmaceuticals - thermometers, teething powders, preservatives etc. it added to the enjoyment I have had in reminiscing on this recent holiday for you.

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