[e-drug] Prescribing and dispensing in one hand? (5)

["Rollo Manning" <rollom@iinet.net.au>]

E-DRUG: Prescribing and dispensing in one hand? (5)
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You are being too suspicious chasing an issue that does not exist (generally speaking). Pharmacists' passion to protect their patch is usually behind this sort of accusation.

In Australia there are around 100 doctors who have a license to dispense and supply medicines listed on the government pharmaceutical benefits scheme and this has never been raised as a problem.

The suggestion that doctors could create "supplier-induced demand/use of medicines not in the interest of the patient" can be equally levelled at pharmacist proprietors who buy product from manufacturer with sizeable inducements ranging from luxury holidays to a set of golf clubs to sell a particular range of proprietary medicines that does not have evidence based research to back up the benefit it can be to a patient. 

How often does a pharmacist business owner tell the patient to go home and have a good rest because they do not need a proprietary medicine or for that matter a prescribed medication?

I suggest if you are going to question a doctor's ethics in owning a pharmacy business you do it after you are satisfied that the existing models of pharmacy ownership are in the best interest of the patient. As readers will know in many developed countries a pharmacist is required by legislation to own a business rather than a non-pharmacist. Surely this can lead to supply induced sale of medicines brought on by high stock levels purchased by the owner with valuable incentives as the reward.

Rollo Manning
Darwin NT Australia
E-mail: rollom@iinet.net.au