Future for pharmacists

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by paul2008

Pharmacy practice is becoming increasingly localised, the way they do things in the US,Canada, Australia or Europe is no longer necessarily the way things are going to be done in the UK.

Increased localisation of services, particularly the rules that govern those services will mean that none of the pharmacy system suppliers will be willing to develop software that will vary with each PCT. The PCTs need to engage with the PSNC and develop standards for services that are national - then we can get the software support to do the job efficiently. Lets tell them to get in there and get on with it.

[student]

about when do you think these changes are going to go ahead

[paul2008]

Originally Posted by student

about when do you think these changes are going to go ahead

Old Merlin is right changes rarely happen just like that things evolve slowly. Even now there are pharmacists whose work is entirely with patients and does not involve compounding of dispensing at all, instead they work as advisers or prescribers.

No planned top down change really can be successful, the profession really needs to drive the change so that means the timetable depends on people changing. What may change in the next few years is the legislative monopoly that pharmacists have. Doctors have already lost their prescribing monopoly. Remember the professions are there to service society and society (ie elected representatives) can make and should make rules that are best for society and not for pharmacists or students or even MP's. Either pharmacists are going to change or eventually they will become obsolete, its the same with everything.

You need to know that whatever you chose to do is actually useful and valuable to people so that even if you don't have a legislative monopoly people to bring their custom to you.

regards,

paul
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2008 - the year for change! Change available any time now.