Editorial

From the desk of the editor

Welcome to the June homepage edition for i2P (Information to Pharmacists) E-Magazine.
The editor’s desk has been vacant for nearly a month to enable a short vacation to happen, and gratefully it has stirred some sort of a revival.
The volume of work unpublished over May will be reorganised and will appear gradually over future editions.
Since resuming “the desk” the pressure has recommenced, but that is part of the job.
This month we have featured Gerald Quigley as he illustrates an evidence-based complementary medicine that helps Alzheimer patients. The product is already helping patients but is being criticised because of a perceived lack of “quality” in its evidence profile.
Mark Coleman has jumped in to point out the lack of quality in mainstream evidence for drugs, and I find it quite appalling that a serial complainer can justify any mainstream evidence as being “gold standard”.
Read Mark’s article under the title of “Research and other Medical Wonders”.

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EDITORIAL for June 2012

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	From the desk of the editor articles by this author...
Introducing current ideas, perspectives and issues, to the profession of pharmacy

Welcome to the June edition for i2P, Information to Pharmacists E-Magazine.
While it is traditional for the pharmacy business cycle to “dampen down” at this time of the year, the lack of optimism in community pharmacy seems more noticeable this year.
While there is much to be concerned about, the old adage about “when the times get tough, the tough get going” has never been truer.
Opportunities abound in this current climate of change. All you have to do is do some forward planning and capture your share of forward movement.
And there is much to excite as is evident in the current articles presented for your use.

You could read John Dunlop’s article on what is happening to the profession in New Zealand.
Are there any lessons for Australian pharmacists?
Or you could read Chris Foster to understand how to plan your budget process (or even telephone him for professional advice). This would be a good starting point.
As well, you could read Barry Urquhart’s management insights and marketing tips to fill out the business plan.
Kay Dunkley has a challenging article on where is the care in pharmacy healthcare.
Then you might like to move on to Gerald Quigley reporting on the negative press that pharmacy has to continually endure. He wonders where our leadership bodies are.
Why aren’t they out there pushing the positives of pharmacy and letting the general public know what we actually do!

Mark Coleman tackles the issue of perceived competitiveness between doctors and pharmacists, and reflects on some of the doctor comments relating to the success or otherwise, of pharmacist consultants being able to sell a professional service.
What are they worried about? That pharmacists will succeed? You betcha!

Harvey Mackay, this month, is talking about the “Age Wave” – you know, that major demographic that governments have yet to come to grips with.
If you want a start-point for a business plan then write down what you plan to do to cope with the needs of the “baby-boomers” that are on top of us with their retirements and creating a range of social issues yet to be dealt with.
You will need an anti-ageing strategy and an aged-care strategy. Separate issues.
Either way, you may need to get back in touch with the subject of nutritional science.
The ACNEM report covered this month may point you to a suitable educational resource.

Move on to Neil Retallick’s article about community pharmacy with the backdrop of industry and pharmacy political change. What is your personal strategy for coping?

For a bit of inspiration you might like to read the article “Share an Innovative Future Direction. Who wouldn’t wan to share that sort of a furure?

For a bit of balance we refer you to Loretta Marron’s offer for this month, Peter Sayer’s input on the need to test the integrity of evidence before it actually becomes reliable evidence and Mark Neuenchwander’s writing regarding safety issues and bar-codes in hospital settings.
Dr David More has a host of links to share with you regarding Australian and global IT issues, and behind the “Recent News” links there appears a divers range of articles that you might just be interested in

Very few online publications available in Australia deliver this wide range of content relating to contemporary pharmacy. It is tested content in that it comes from a range of writers who actually work in some facet of pharmacy and can deliver first-hand experience.
Have a good read for the month of June and capitalise on the content of i2P in the form of a forward plan for the next financial year (and beyond).

Neil Johnston,
June 1 2012

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