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As a Locum Pharmacist, I am a bit more at risk from the Charlie Benrimoj S2/S3 "educators".
I cannot recognise your Dolased/Ventolin regulars, so I have to treat all your patients as pseudo-patrons.
I have to find a way to comply EVERY time - with S3s at least.
Charlie Benrimoj has been on a mission to save Australian Pharmacy for almost a decade, and he should be given credit for that.
Is it we Pharmacists who will kill Pharmacy?
This latest initiative is really not that onerous.
The S2 sales can be taken care of by our staff, and most pharmacies are training staff to handle S2s properly.
QCPP is making sure that happens.
The S3s have to be "blessed" by the Pharmacist - a nod of the head is not good enough - they have to be handed to the patient.
I find Mersyndol, Ventolin, Restavit and Canestan, are the most onerous.
I further find that your patients usually know what they want, and resent the interference of this new guy behind the counter.
In an effort to make this work for me, I have made up a business card - laser printed both sides - on which I have written all the words I usually say.
I have done this for Mersyndol and Ventolin and Restavit.
I will do one for Canestan.
I find that, when an S3 sale is requested, I can take the product, and the card to the patient. If they are hostile about being confronted (as they see it), at least I have made myself available, and I can then say, "Well …I have written it all down for you" .
They seem to like that, but it is surprising how often the questions THEN start!
I don't suppose it is strictly legal, but it makes my life a whole lot easier.
These four items account for 90% of the S3 sales I need to make.
The other 10% need face to face counselling anyway, and are generally the result of my own recommendation.
It really is a pain in the butt, being interrupted all the time, but that is the job!
I am no SuperPharmacist - I am just trying to avoid being "educated" by Benrimoj's Boys!

My predictions for 2002 --- QCPP will begin to flounder.

Pharmacies are going back to being script factories.
The original enthusiasm of the Team is flagging.
Most of the systems are still in place, but it seems to me that the accredited pharmacies are the ones who were doing it right anyway.
I have prepared my checklist as a Locum in an Accredited pharmacy.
The contact telephone numbers are handy, but I can't get anyone to take the Quality Care questions seriously.
The Board inspectors are complaining that Pharmacies are being QCPP Accredited, but fail to meet the requirements of the routine Board inspection. (??)
DMMR will be taken up by contractors, and the individuals will be squeezed out in the same way as happened with the nursing home thing.
It is still a great opportunity to advance the image of Pharmacy and Pharmacists. I might even get accredited myself!

Wholesalers must be hurting - It seems there is increasing direct ordering, decreased margins.
Pharmacy will suffer - we always do!
Next year will continue to bring financial pain!
Hopefully Prof Benrimoj et al will try again to improve our performance as pharmacists.
QCPP is supposed to lift the performance of the team and the performance of the business, but most of us are being forced into a dispensing workflow which is contrary to Board Standards.
It is time these standards were changed or enforced.
In all (except one) pharmacies I go to, the scripts are processed by techos. Therefore I don't routinely get to see the patient history.
I check thoroughly. I check the duplicate, but I don't see the history.
This is professionally wrong!
Pharmacist Advice required me to look at the history and to talk with the patient. It was surprising how many issues arose out of a quick look at the history.

Sooooo Fellas ….
How about inviting the Board inspectors to check our dispensing procedures - not only what procedures are written down, but also that we actually DO it!??
Should I keep my big mouth shut???
I don't see much future for Pharmacy if we are just efficient script factories.

Thanks for "listening" to me in 2001, and I wish you all health and happiness in 2002. Roy Stevenson

And the last word in humour for the year:

Late one Friday night a policeman spotted a man driving very erratically through the streets of Dublin.
He pulled the man over and asked him if he had been drinking that evening.
"Aye, so I have. 'Tis Friday, you know, so me and the lads stopped by the pub where I had six or seven pints.
And then there was something called "Happy Hour" and they served these mar-gar-itos, which are quite good.
I had four or five o' those.
Then I had to drive me friend Mike home and O' course, I had to go in for a couple of Guinness - couldn't be rude, ye know.
Then I stopped on the way home to get another bottle for later.."

And the man fumbled around in his coat until he located his bottle of whiskey, which he held up for inspection.
The officer sighed, and said,
"Sir, I'm afraid I'll need you to step out of the car and take a breathaliser test."
Indignantly, the man said,
"Why? Don't ye believe that I'm pissed ?!?"

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Editor's Note:
With a unique brand of humour, a capacity for expecting the unexpected and a high degree of professionalism, it is obvious that Roy is providing a first class service as a locum.
I am sure there are a number of prospective employers who would like to meet him. He now has a website located at: http://www.computachem.com.au/locums/RoyStevenson.html
You can arrange more information, and a locum booking, from this site.

Roy S.Stevenson Ph.C. M.P.S.,
Locum Pharmacist
40 Northminster Way
RATHMINES 2283.
Tel 4975 5548 Mob. 0402 406 691 Fax 0249 75 2334
ABN 11 585 465 385

Also, check out the human resource and employment sections located in the Computachem site.

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