US Pharm. 2007;1:3.
Over the past several weeks, pharmacists received
a mixed bag of news. The first piece of news shouldn't come as any surprise to
most pharmacists, because they've heard it before--for the last 18 years, in
fact. According to the latest USA Today/Gallup Poll, consumers ranked
pharmacists within the top three professions--as they have since 1989.
It's really too bad that some
pharmacists don't see themselves in the same light as consumers do. I recently
received e-mails from several pharmacists in response to a column I wrote
complaining about the "commodization" of prescriptions. The theme that ran
through the majority of the e-mails was that it is too late to change
consumers' perception of pharmacy, and all they really want is a bargain. What
really startled me was that many freely admitted it was their own inactions
that contributed to consumers' perception that pharmacists are only selling a
product and not their services. Sadly, I have to agree, pharmacists can be
their own worst enemies.
That being said, the other
piece of news should come as a wake-up call for all pharmacists, even those
who have accepted the notion, as one pharmacist put it, of being no better
than a deli counter person. While the news itself is not particularly good for
consumers, it does present an excellent opportunity for pharmacists.
A survey by Lightspeed
Research revealed that medication noncompliance is a big problem in the United
States. Medication therapy management, pharmaceutical care, disease state
management--or whatever moniker you give it--will eventually lead to healthier
patients. That cause and effect will hopefully someday lead to pharmacists
being paid for their services. For sure, it won't happen overnight. But if
pharmacists continue to perceive themselves as selling a commodity, it will
never happen.
Harold E. Cohen, RPh
Editor-in-Chief
hcohen@jobson.com
To comment on this article, contact
editor@uspharmacist.com.
