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Welcome to the May 2012 homepage edition of i2P-Information to Pharmacists. Rollo Manning has been having some time out having staples removed from the site of his open heart surgery.He is now at home recuperating in Darwin, having arrived home last Friday, beating a cold and hasty retreat from Canberra.We all wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully, he will be fit enough to contribute by next month.
This month, Pharmedia discusses the toll that is taken when someone complains about you to an authority without good cause. Well, the good news is that you can now take action to protect yourself if such a complaint is made, and that may even include action for defamation. Read about a recent case involving two doctors, with Mark Coleman drawing on personal experience to illustrate.

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The finish line of the Pharmacy Melbourne Cup is in sight…who will be the winners?

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	Garry Boyd articles by this author...
Garry has an interest in intellectual property (patents and trade marks), pharmacy automation and dispensary systems extending to workflows, layout and design within a pharmacy. He has a wide knowledge of the pharmacy industry having once worked for Sigma. He is also the inventor of Express Rx, one of the first Australian designed and built automated dispensing solutions for the local market.

Comment about the future of pharmacy has been a daily occurrence for seemingly as long as Cook plotted a course up the eastern seaboard.
He hit the rocks, as will many of the so-called “players” attempting to seek proprietorship over parts of the pharmacy puzzle will.
Whether it be fact or Chinese whispers, a number of “core”(sorry Kev) “assets” have the attention of many.

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The big Daddy; Electronic Prescribing.
This appears to be the domain of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA) at the moment, and the PGA is well positioned to get it over the line, despite all the “buts”. Will the Guild be given “exclusivity”? I doubt it. In their favour of course is the fact that they have done the hard yards, invested heavily and developed the product.
The small matter of the distribution of the proposed 25cent per prescription fee (which will no doubt become our newest swear word) is contentious and will affect the odds of any starters trying to lay claim to the $45mil per annum without ploughing a substantial amount back into the cause.
A smart stayer is likely to offer a program capable of delivering a benefit to health costs.
The lads at the pub have assessed the pre-barrier draw odds as follows;
The PGA to have exclusivity……………………………..33/1
The PGA to dominate the market…………………… 6/4
Pharmacists & Doctors agreeing ……………………..150/1
 Risks entering the home straight.
Punters over the age of 55 reject the notion of not being provided with a race book.
Race day becomes too complex and punters retreat to the old ways.
Colesworth.
No doubt has many promising, extremely well bred stars in training. Currently at a disadvantage by not being permitted to race without approval of the Chief Steward, but will eventually get a start and make a very bold showing.
The issue might be how they go about branding their eventual entry. Will Colesworth end up trading under one of the big brands or will they seek to establish their own brand of pharmacy?
The Danks Holdings deal that will deliver the Thrifty-Link group to Woolworths in conjunction with the Lowe’s Group could well see the Thrifty-Link brand retained. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Colesworth will no doubt be aware that the magnificent breeding program undertaken by the stayers will impact on their own plans to establish an impressive bloodline of their own.
Odds as follows;
Colesworth to attempt to race with an existing stable……………………………….7/2
Existing stables to retain their own bloodlines………………………………………Evens.
Automation.
A real "smoky" a couple of years ago, but now poised to make serious inroads. Two bloodlines, one being pack dispensing in the dispensary and the other dose administration aids (DAA) automated solutions. Surprisingly (or not) there appears to be resistance by some trainers to run with either breed, despite the growing necessity for racing to become more efficient. Cost and efficiency levels appear to be hampering the growth of the pack breed, but a less than enthusiastic attitude on the part of the Chief Steward (PGA) is not helping development. As for the DAA sachet providers, it is becoming clear that this particular breed is unsuitable for local conditions. A track that is rated “heavy” is always hard to race on. Cost and unhelpful regulations cause these heavy conditions. The NSW Steward has made it clear all runners must “prove” that the silks worn by the jockey belong to the intended victor and are not replacements.
Significantly, this is a major contributing factor why this country has produced less than 20x specialized runners of the DAA sachet variety and the Kiwis’ have bred nearly 40x.
Yet another cost impediment is the fact that bulk product is unable to be sourced for use on Australian tracks.
This is not an insurmountable difficulty if handled efficiently but thus far there is little evidence of new training practices being implemented to ease operating costs. 
Odds as follows;
Automated pack dispensing in the dispensary:
: Increase dramatically………………6/4
: Remain static……………………….15/1
Automation of DAA’s:
: Increase dramatically………………..1/2 on
: Remain static………………………...50/1
New automated players to enter the race offering a range of solutions ……Odds on, deep in the red.
Aged Care.
Smart owners and trainers are scrambling to secure a place at the right odds. Software products at the right weight and breeding are certainly going to enjoy a spot in the final, although the barrier draw will be dependent on trainers being able to offer a program for the spring carnival well in advance.
The residential care facilities (RCF’s) are becoming even more demanding and expect winners in every race. Ideally, trainers wishing to participate in this sector will need to think laterally and form alliances so that a complete package is presented. To secure an ideal barrier draw the package will need to include secure monitoring software complete with alerts to the pharmacy, linked to a DAA capable of tracking the medicines over the journey and be able to have medicines and/or doses changed without reinventing the wheel.
Odds as follows:
: Good standalone Software in a busy market with a good barrier position………………….Evens.
: A DAA provider without logistic or efficiency problems…………..Outright favourite at 10/9 on.
Care in the Home.
This big improver will probably figure in a stunning trifecta under the tutelage of a canny trainer.
The Americans have designated the term “Assisted Care” for this popular breed and as such are taking steps to pull out all the stops to ensure runners put to pasture will be cared for with dignity and professional help.
Will run on a similar track to Aged Care on a weight for age basis. The winner will need to form significant alliances to be able to get a crack at the trifecta. New training practices will need to be embraced to win, but signs of this are already apparent. Aged Care and Care in the Home are comfortably housed in the same stables so the next steps shouldn’t be too difficult.
Odds as follows:
A quick survey of the bar declared the right mix to be the proverbial racing “certainty”.
Garry Boyd.September 2009.

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