Kaiapoi pharmacies band together  -  By Ruth LarsenCompetition was set aside as three...

Complete this month's Continuing Education questions to qualify for extra NZ College of Pharmacists credits. go

Last month's answers here

By Ramy Burjony

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It is ever so encouraging to see organisations such as the Pharmacy Guild and Pharmacybrands Ltd...

Calcium...strengthens your bones but weakens your heart
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For years we have been told to drink milk in order to develop strong bones. Why we asked? Simple,...

From the Editor

Retailers or healthcare professionals?

An editorial I wrote earlier this year on homeopathy prompted many passionate letters to the editor.

Some of you agreed with me pharmacy should not be selling products that claim therapeutic benefit but have no clinical backing.

Some of you were angry I was denigrating something many people feel helps them greatly.

And there were those who were somewhere in the middle – people have a right to buy whatever they want, but pharmacy needs to be careful in the way it promotes them.

At last month’s Pharmacy­brands conference, health consultant and GP Paul McCormack said many of his colleagues are concerned about the “snake oil” pedalled in pharmacy.

He went further, saying in the new clinically led health sector, GPs will feel more comfortable referring patients to colleagues who are healthcare professionals, rather than retailers.

This sentiment contrasted to Pharmacybrands chief executive Alan Wham’s welcoming speech, in which he told Amcal, Unichem and Life pharmacies they must consider supermarkets, department stores, natural health retailers and discounters as their competition.

Is it necessary, or even feasible, to make the choice between health services and retail?

Do you believe a retail focus erodes away at the credibility of the profession? Or is it absolutely essential to maintaining a viable business model.

Send me your feedback and I’ll publish the debate in next month’s issue.

Andrea Svendsen
09 488 4269
editor@pharmacytoday.co.nz