A regular column reporting the news behind the news

CONFLICT OF INTEREST COULD BE NEXT

Criticism of the Woolworths push into pharmacy was accompanied by the claim that a non pharmacist owner would instruct the pharmacist manager what the preference was in recommending products for sale. Quite clearly the converse can apply.

A pharmacist owner is motivated by financial bonding to recommend products that are making the most money for the pharmacist owner. These may not be the best available for the consumers need.

Ironically the recommendation that was in the National Competition Policy draft report on pharmacy regulation that advocated a 49% ownership to another party (external equity) also recommended an amendment to the Crimes Act to make it an offence for a non-pharmacist interest to influence what a pharmacist may professionally judge. Here must be the epitome of safeguards.

The interest to sell a product should be professional interest on the part of the pharmacist for the welfare of the consumer.

This can be taken too far however as instanced in a recent case where a consumer was told by a pharmacist that it could not sell a product because of a potential interaction.
The consumer was incensed as they had bought the product before and was pleased to accept the advice when offered.
The final decision must be with the consumer once the risks have been explained.

When it comes to Natural Products – homeopathy, naturopathy and herbal medicines it is becoming more evident that pharmacists must become properly trained to make judgments on these products.

Go to http://www.quackwatch.org/01quackeryRelatedTopics/pharm.html for more on this subject.

FRIENDLY SOCIETY LEADERS MUST BE WONDERING

The Friendly Society movement in Australia must be wondering what more it can do to be able to satisfy the population.
The NCP review of pharmacy ownership stated:

"As an indicator of what might be possible, the ongoing presence of friendly society pharmacies in most States, however circumscribed, seems to act as a spur to independent pharmacies to enhance their own performances and to maintain such quality.
If pharmacy proprietorship opened up further, it is possible that change could bring overall benefits to the community, and to the industry itself, in terms of diversity, vibrancy, and entrepreneurial thinking."

Reference: Page 35 Final Report of the Review: National Competition Policy Review of Pharmacy

Now the “friendlies” find they have been stymied in NSW by the Bill following the NCP review limiting them to six new openings, while in Victoria nothing has changed, except more restrictions on how they operate as a Friendly Society.

VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT GETS HALF THE STORY

The soap opera of who can own a pharmacy continues in Victoria. This really would be a classic for the "Yes Minister" series.

Minister Pike told the Victorian Parliament on 13 May:

Part One:

“The final report of the national review, titled National Competition Policy Review of Pharmacy, dated February 2000, recommended limited deregulation of the ownership arrangements for pharmacy businesses. The review recommended removing any cap on the number of pharmacies a pharmacist may own, allowing friendly societies to continue to own and operate pharmacies unrestricted and allowing pharmacists to adopt a corporate structure to carry on their pharmacy businesses.”

Pharma-goss comment: Okay well we knew all that in February 2000 so have had plenty of time to get used to it. As for a pharmacist being able to own as many as they like - well it is almost that now with the fiddles they work to get around the restriction of three pharmacies. How many pharmacists do you know that have an ownership stake in more than three pharmacies?

Part Two:

“The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) also established a senior officials working group (SOWG) that examined the national review recommendations and, broadly, supported their implementation.”

Pharma-goss comment: So now we have two high level examinations of pharmacy ownership supporting an unlimited number of pharmacies any one pharmacist may own and unrestricted friendly societies. Seems pretty clear – to meet NCP requirements.

Part Three:

“The Victorian Department of Human Services released a discussion paper in August 2002, inviting interested parties to comment on the national review and COAG senior officials working group recommendations and their implications for Victoria. The discussion paper also canvassed a wide range of other reforms proposed to bring pharmacy legislation up to date.”

Pharma-goss comment: Wow we can hardly wait for details of the wide range of other reforms to bring pharmacy up to date!

Part Four:

“In line with the federal government’s determination, the bill lifts the cap on the number of pharmacies a pharmacist can own…”

Pharma-goss: Wait for it – that is correct – lift the cap – but-

“…from three to five (and). It does not introduce any new restrictions on the number of pharmacies a friendly society can own.

Pharma-goss comment: Eh? “In line with the Federal Governments determination” – oh!

You mean:

Part Five:

“Yet at the same time the Prime Minister announced he would act to prevent community pharmacy being undermined and specifically said that he would prevent chain stores like Woolworths owning or operating pharmacies within their stores.”

Pharma-goss comment: But wait a minute – who said anything about letting anyone other than a pharmacist owning a pharmacy.
Woolworths!!
Never mentioned in any Bill anywhere or in either of the high level reviews.
Is someone imagining or presenting a hypothetical case to the Liberal – CP coalition.
Maybe someone knows the PM and has influenced his judgment.
This takes history back to the 1930s when it is alleged a bag of 50 Gold Sovereigns was put on a post in Newtown late at night to be collected by a staffer from the Minister’s office.
Hope he got it!

Oh wait a minute – it was in NSW in 2004 where the Pharmacy Guild conned the people into thinking that this was the case so that 500,000 of them signed a petition asking that this (Woolworths owning pharmacies) should not happen.
It was claimed as a record number of signatures.
It probably was a record and not difficult to see why.
The whole thing was a hoax and should be investigated by – well somebody that is not influenced by a lot of money – after all talk back radio kings (and queens) don’t come cheap!

So for all of you that are wondering where the National Competition Council of Graeme Samuels is standing on this – well we might have to wait until after an election to find out.

Confusing isn’t it?

My quote of the month:

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

Walter Bagehot

Vale George Michael Eckert
1931 to 2004

It was with much sadness we learnt of the passing of George Eckert in Sydney on 17th May at the age of 73 years.
George was the shining light for many of us who studied pharmacy at Sydney University 50 years ago and his teaching style and methods have stayed with us in all our endeavors.
He had a fantastic memory and a mind that had a filing system as good as the computer. His vinyl record collection of 2,000 was filed in what to us seemed a very careless manner but it allowed him to find what he wanted in seconds. The 200 students a week that attended his Mat Med lectures were known to him by first name after just two weeks.
He graduated as a Batchelor of Science and then did pharmacy and after another seven years continued to study medicine graduating as a Doctor of Medicine in 1974.
Following this came the dedicated time of George's life as he was "trialed" at Sydney Hospital as a "clinical pharmacist". His pioneering work in identifying and actioning reviews of medication for patients with adverse pathology was acclaimed world wide. This resulted in a second wave of pharmacists passing through his tutorship as a second generation of pharmacists was destined for the ward rounds.
Much admired and dearly loved George will be sadly missed but his inspiration to so many of us will stay in our memories forever.

RIP dear friend and mentor George Eckert.

From Rollo Manning

Comments and suggestion for topics to this column may be sent to rollom@bigpond.net.au