EDITORIAL

There seems to be a slight lull in activity, across the current pharmacy spectrum, and it possibly relates to a planning and commitment phase by government and industry, before committing large sums of money into IT investment.

Possibly the single, most limiting factor, was the choice of a bar-code system for health, which has now been decided as the EAN system. Until that decision had been confirmed by the federal government, all electronic systems work sat out there in limbo.
It will be some months, even years, before the full impact of these systems will be appreciated, and all will be launched with the hope of creating more efficiencies in an already expensive National Health System.

In taking stock, we are suggesting to pharmacists that now may be the time to investigate what opportunities may become available, also what threats may loom in the short to medium term.
We are further suggesting to pharmacists that while a lot of their time has been taken up in an endless cycle of dispensing, with attendant difficulties such as incorrect Medicare numbers and other inane regulations forever being foisted on pharmacy by government agencies, that you revisit your "roots" and check out your traditional offering of goods and services to customers/patients.
In particular, look at what you are doing with:

* Private Dispensing
* Compounding
* General retailing
* Systems development and management planning/succession.

The fact that dispensing generally has become difficult to manage for some, indicates that a long and hard look should have been undertaken some time ago, to develop systems and plan human resources around the emerging problem.

The total picture became a little confused, as resources were taken up in developing new clinical services, that absorbed a tremendous amount of available time. Some pharmacists saw these new services as a total replacement for some traditional goods and services offers.
It should be possible, with good planning and good management, to graft any new service to the existing mix, so we are suggesting caution and a re-balancing of strategy before any market is abandoned.
The current e-magazine contains material which should help you make appropriate decisions.

Neil Johnston
August 2002