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Ibuprofen
gets to shock jocks
The row over the National Drug and Poisons Scheduling Committee
(NDPSC) decision to have Ibuprofen an "open seller"
has been renewed with what would have to go down as one of the
most successful PR campaigns of the last 25 years.
Just when the market was ready to settle down through sales at
supermarkets it flared in the last week of January with media
releases on morning news bulletins that were quickly taken up
by talk-back radio. Guild President John Bronger spoke on one
Sydney talk-back radio show and even gave a commentary on the
address of Labor leader Mark Latham to the ALP National Conference
on the top rating morning radio show.
The Australian Medical Association weighed in and added credibility
to an already valid argument.
Beware of painkillers - especially the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
variety.
Seek advice from a pharmacist.
This even caused the usually media shy Therapeutic Goods Administration
to hold a press conference defending the stance of the NDPSC.
Then the day following the TGA came the Pharmacy Guild placing
ads in the major metropolitan dailies appealing to the already
sensitised consumer to "ask you pharmacist".
Reminded an old timer of the "Ask you family chemist - he
knows" of the 1960s.
If this had been an orchestrated campaign it would have cost a
bit - but when it is as successful as this one who cares how much
it cost.
It will now be interesting to see if the NDPSC is prepared to
go back on its decision against this backlash of public outcry.
Well done PR machine.
You
can't have it both ways
The argument goes that because of the advice given by pharmacists
to their clients a great service is given which saves millions
of dollars in hospital admissions from medication mishaps.
The public is told the profession in Australia is structured in
a way that is the best in the world.
But then it is argued that because of the millions of dollars
it costs the country for admissions to hospitals because of medicine
misadventures there is the need to spend MORE money to awaken
consumers to the dangers of modern medicines and fill out a "Medi-mate"
to alert consumers to possible misadventures.
The wealth of information available in the Con Berbatis research
into pharmacy practice gives the opportunity to quantify the value
added component of pharmacist advice.
However the figures for Australia alone are not enough and there
is the need for international comparisons to see how Oz pharmacists
fare against those in other countries.
The mere fact that "x" million counseling contacts are
made a year means nothing unless it has a comparative figure from
say America or England.
It is hoped that the further work to be done in Tasmania address
this comparison.
Watch
this space
Is the Northern Territory ahead of the bunch or just catching
up on lost time? - like celebrating the railway line opening in
2004 (from Adelaide) that was first promised at the turn of the
19th - 20th century.
A bill introduced into the Legislative Assembly (NT Parliament)
in late November contained an entire schedule on who can own a
pharmacy.
The Bill will bring all the registering health professional boards
under one Act.
So at a time when the rest of the Nation is being told by its
Labor leaders at State level that National Competition Policy
will not allow a continuance of the "pharmacist only ownership"
the NT is picking up on the lobbying of the private practicing
pharmacists to bring in a law that was introduced to the rest
of the nation in the 1930s when Boots were threatening.
At that time in the NT pharmacy was regulated through an Ordinance
picked up from South Australia and never changed in terms of ownership.
In 2004 the NT is bringing its legislation in line with what the
rest of the Nation did 70 years ago.
How long before it has to change it back?
My
quote of the month:
"The
whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are
always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts."
Bertrand
Russell
(1872-1970, British Philosopher, Mathematician, Essayist)
I know a lot of "wise" people and think I would rather
be branded a fanatic.
Have fun!
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