Perception is everything

Some time ago, I had dinner at the Fairmont with a friend who teaches pharmacy at a prestigious Spanish university.

In Spain, as here, she explained, pharmacy owners are struggling to remain in business as profit margins drop.

Some are selling cosmetics and home healthcare equipment, but few dare to charge for counselling or specialty services.

There, as here, pharmacists are trying to find their footing after a drop in drug prices.

The new challenge is to be valued and perceived as the professionals that we are.

Yes, perception is everything…

It was a common occurrence to have patients filling their prescriptions early, and even filling unnecessary ones just to get the glittery points.

The abolition of points for prescriptions in many Canadian pharmacy jurisdictions, and most recently in B.C. (what a wonderful way to begin the new year) is a step in the right direction.

As of Dec 2, 2013, there are no more prescriptions for points in B.C.—or was that points for prescriptions?

Backed by the B.C. Supreme Court’s refusal to issue an interim injunction so two grocery chains can continue to offer rewards points to their pharmacy customers, the B.C. College of Pharmacists is enforcing a bylaw prohibiting incentives.

While this may seem unfair to some—after all, the College should not meddle in all our business dealings—it really makes perfect sense.

This was brought home to me by a colleague who used to work for a chain drugstore that provided such incentives.

It was a common occurrence to have patients filling their prescriptions early, and even filling unnecessary ones just to get the glittery points.

And next thing you know, the lady with the painful knees, her back no longer crooked, was swooping down the aisle, her cart brimming with goodies.

Not surprisingly, the grocer pharmacies are not taking the ban lying down. Tooth and nail, they will fight to get their glittery points back.

And while I understand that the current pharmacy business model needs tweaking, I am totally against selling our soul to corporations that will use pharmacy as the loss leader.

Most importantly, pharmacists cannot allow the ethics of the profession to be trodden underfoot by forces foreign to health care

And so as 2014 begins, I applaud B.C.’s ban on incentives and pray for the continued flourishing of one of the most wonderful professions on earth.

And if all goes to pot…?

Surely, there is always plan b…

As my Spanish friend and I sat at the Fairmont bistro discussing our pharmacy woes and enjoying the live entertainment, I thought: Hey! I could always play the piano for a living.

Better still, live entertainment (now there’s an incentive) while you shop at Hollyburn pharmacy.

Cristina Alarcon is a Vancouver pharmacist and writer.

Foto vía: epSos.de vía photopin cc

2019-01-18T10:10:36+00:0027/01/2014|