Posted by Cam W. on March 23, 2000, at 22:05:13
Dr.Bob -
Re: Students' thoughts on online pharmacies
1) When first ask for their opinion, a collective groan rattled the lecture theatre.
2) With online pharmacies there is a loss of the human aspects of pharmacy. Social interactions are further decayed by the evil internet. Life is moving too fast (eg fast food society) and we are losing that personal touch. You don't get to know your pharmacist as a person and they cannot get to know you.
3) A hearing impaired student (who was being signed my presentation) did not think that online pharmacies could adequately cater to the majority of special needs patients. Maybe the deaf could use the internet to communicate, but effective communication takes more than reading (see #4)
4) Counseling on devices (blood glucose meters, inhalers, etc.) cannot be adequately done via writing. This class had recently done a project where they were to teach 4 friends to use an asthma inhaler. Two of the friends were given written instructions only and the other two were shown how to use the inhaler properly. The friends who were given written instructions only, on the whole, did not use the inhaler properly. Therefore, it was concluded that being taught something that requires physical manipulation of a device needs someone to demonstrate that device to ensure proper use.
5) This is not an online pharmacy comment. One very astute student raised some concerns about the public's attitude toward the pharmacist's cognitive services (eg counseling, med reviews, medication regimen planning, etc.). People today are always looking for deals. They will use cost cutting drug stores and complain that the pharmacist does not counsel them. People must be willing to pay for what they get (eg cognitive services). Pharmacists are paid by the prescription, not by the knowledge they impart. Pharmacy owners want prescriptions filled; more prescriptions = more profit. Pharmaceutical care cannot be performed adequately if pharmacists are not paid to do it. Pharmacists are trained as dispensers of drug information, not as "lick and stick" artists (refers to the oldtime method of applying prescription labels - hell, I even remember those!). But they are paid to "lick and stick" and expected to give their knowledge away for free. The public needs to pressure third party payers (HMOs in U.S.) to pay for cognitive services and not just for the prescription filling process. This way pharamcists would be more inclined to personally give you the information you want.
These idealistic (bless their hearts) students really want to help people. They want to impart the knowledge they have to help people improve their quality of life. They feel that by helping people to understand their disease state and how medications can alleviate the symptoms of the disease will allow their patients (customers?, clients?, - whatever) to lead more fulfilling productive lives.
Dr.B. - It was a learning experience for me, as well. - Cam W.
poster:Cam W.
thread:27985
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000321/msgs/27985.html