The PAN recall and the events subsequent, hit small traders, which included pharmacies, independent supermarkets, and in particular, health food stores.
The latter, hit hard and initially stunned by the action of the TGA, are starting to rally and begin the fight back.
Has there been too much damage for these people to recover?
It has definitely been severe, but recovery will occur, albeit slowly.
One has to wonder at the other agendas running concurrently, taking the advantage to have a swipe at the complementary medicines industry.

Just ask the questions: How did an instance of a single manufacturer not observing good manufacturing practice, turn into an outright attack on every facet of complementary medicines. Ask yourself again-who gains from this process?
We think at least one of our writers has argued one unnoticed aspect of this extraordinary event.
So don't miss Trevor Bamford, a health food operator, and James Ellerson, a marketing consultant as they discuss the aftermath.

The article on RFID applications has great significance for pharmacy, as it has the potential to slash some operating overheads, while simultaneously providing security and rapid financial and inventory data processing.
Understanding the process will assist in how you might take advantage of this technology as it begins to roll out from the "Future Store" in Germany.

Professor Con Berbatis, the well-known pharmacy researcher, provides a detailed analysis of future pharmacy trends, and among other comments, highlights the fact that e-commerce will play a more dominant role as pharmacy environments evolve. Also that pharmacies will get larger and the franchised pharmacy will predominate.
It makes interesting reading, and I suggest you print this material out and file it close by your business plans.

There is also an interesting article on a remote dispensing system (by Sheryl Frame-an IT consultant). This is Australian technology and will have a number of applications, not just for rural/remote areas.

Jon Aldous discusses the pharmacist prescriber in the UK, Andrew Snow has a "quality" experience, Rollo Manning delivers a paper on indigenous pharmacy at the ARCHI seminar, Karalyn Huxhagen discusses some management issues and Heather Pym points to a useful winter website.

Neil Johnston, July 2003

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