I've hit the big time baby!

So, my last post suggested I'm going solo.

And I've done that, so I've been preoccupied.

But now, I've clearly made the big time with a shout out in the October 2010 issue of Drugstore Canada magazine.

I guess my little blog was getting more attention than I thought (which is why I stopped blogging for a while).

When I have more time, I will put up another post.

Small pharmacy is really screwed, but that doesn't mean I can't be only a little screwed.

So, it's been a while since I last posted.

What's happened since then? Well, I've had some excitement in my personal life, but this is not the forum for that.

And in my professional life, well, all has gone to hell, as they say. The Ontario Government has decided they aren't happy with how well the retail pharmacy industry is doing these days, so they've decided to slit our wrists, give us a bandaid, and let us all bleed out slowly. And by "us" I mean pharmacists in Ontario. Go to www.stopcuts.ca or http://ontario.communitypharmacies.ca for more info. Educate yourself, but in the meantime, here's my take.

The government has announced they will be eliminating all forms of professional allowances to pharmacies from generic drug companies (which is about 750 million bucks/year), while slashing the allowed cost of generic drugs to 25% of the brand name price. They did, however, agree to increase the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) reimbursed dispensing fee from $7 to $8 - which is very nice since they've only increased it by $0.56 over the past 21 years. Hrmmmmm....maybe its cus they knew the funding model for drugs in Ontario was screwed up and they were okay with letting pharmacies and generic drug companies work out their own deals. So now the government wants a piece of the action...or probably is thinking, "if we can't have a piece of the action, no one can". They did agree (but haven't given specifics yet) to fund pharmacists for the provision of certain professional services. Who knows what that will be and how much it will pay or even when it will take effect.

Bottom line is this: they are removing about $750 million from the industry and only giving back $250 million....where the heck is the difference coming from? The answer is the public. The innocent bystander who hears from their elected government that they will be saving money on drugs. But if pharmacies are going to lose money on every prescription they fill, either someone will pay, or pharmacies will start cutting back and going out of business.

It's happening already. People are getting laid off. Hours are harder to come by. Previously free services are being charged for (eg, $5 per delivery of a prescription). And the smaller pharmacies who aren't 17,000 square feet with 5000 square feet of high end cosmetics (and aren't receiving kickbacks to stock those cosmetics, by the way), will get hit the hardest. The independent pharmacy. Not the large/public corporations like Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall Pharma Plus (Katz Group).

Thanks Premier Dalton McGuinty and Health Minister Deb Matthews....you have officially solidified your role in Canada's history as the government that destroyed the pharmacy as we know it, and as we have known it for the past 20 years or even longer. Wait you two. One day soon you or someone you love will likely need a pharmacist... And by then these changes will have had time to have their full effect on the industry. And when you need the assistance of your pharmacist and don't get it or have to pay out of pocket or have to wait a very long time, I hope you curse yourself. I can only imagine what you would do if someone came along and said "you are not allowed to make the salary you have been getting for the past 20 years anymore, so now will earn 50% less for yet to be determined increase in workload." Ya, good luck with that.

I'm not really all that upset with making changes. Seriously, I agree we need lower drug prices. I'm just upset with how they went about doing it. The government created these "professional allowances" in 2006...it was their idea!! And now they are making pharmacists look bad for using that. And they are being vague and unwilling to negotiate or discuss possible resolutions with any of the pharmacy associations/groups. They are making drastic changes to and industry they know little about. And just because they pay for the largest insurance plan in the company and want to reduce their debt, they figured that by paying less for drugs, their debt will decrease. So why not legislate lower prices? Genius they thought. Meanwhile they will screw millions of people in the coming years.

Until then, I'm not going to let you burst my bubble. I am still going to open my own pharmacy. I will modify my business model to account for your stupidity and arrogance and future inevitable stupidity. I will do whatever I can to prove myself and the services I provide to my patients are worth their time, loyalty, and business. I will let them know that the government doesn't really care about anyone but themselves. I will succeed whether you try and stop me or not.

That was my rant on the current situation in the retail/community pharmacy industry in Ontario.

Until next time,

The Canadian Pharmacist.

Opening a new pharmacy

So, all this work makes me wonder if it's time.

Is it time to consider opening my own pharmacy?

What's the deal with new pharmacies nowadays anyways? How does one compete for business with the likes of Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall (and the slowly being phased out, Pharma Plus)? Is it stupid to think I can compete for the pharmacy business? And without a medical clinic in my back pocket, is it stupid to think I will survive?

Now what types of things am I thinking about? Well, location, location, location. Where the heck would I open? The area I live is pretty saturated with chains, independents, banners, and other types of pharmacies. So how far do I want to open a business from my home? What's reasonable?

And what would my pharmacy look like and what would I sell? What are people looking for in an independent store? What do you think? How much money and inventory do I need? And how much time and planning should I allow for?

What about past relationships? Do I worry that people I used to work for/with will get upset if I open within a certain distance of them? I'm not one to burn bridges, but seriously, space is finite.

And how does a pharmacist market themselves once open? I mean, you can't leave the store during business hours, so how do you go visit doctors when they're more likely to be able to meet with you? Or do I dig my financial hole deeper and hire someone to cover me when I call on docs? Its a catch-22.

So, anyone out there have any tips or advice for me? Any good resources?

Anyone done it already and want to get in on this action? Or know anyone who wants to do it?

Is this the start of a new thought process? Or is this just a timely blog that will fall by the waist side in an hour?

I predict this is the start of something massive.

A Welcoming Counsel.

For starters: this is my first blog, so thanks for reading.

I'm not really sure how these things are supposed to work, so I plan on just writing about all things Pharmacy and Pharmacist...and maybe even things that aren't really.

For those who haven't thought much about the profession of pharmacy, it's probably time you did. We all know you've been into a pharmacy at some point or another - even if you sell out and go to Wal-Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart, or large grocery stores for your pharmacy-related stuff, you still have been to a pharmacy. (Don't even get me started on the negative effect Shoppers Drug Mart has on the profession of pharmacy - that will come soon). And even if you just grabbed cough syrup, eye drops, or picked up your grandmother's prescriptions, you probably have noticed the common theme in these pharmacies - the pharmacy counter. And if you have been unlike the typical consumer, you may have even looked past the busy dispensary counter and seen a head or two bobbing around frantically from phone to counter and back to the phone. Somewhere back there, amidst all that seemingly organized chaos, there is a pharmacist.

We are primary healthcare professionals. We have all been to University for a 4 year pharmacy degree - and in most cases, we also earned another bachelor degree prior to entering pharmacy school. Myself, I have 2 university degrees over 7 years.

Why start a blog now? Well, why not? People blog about anything and everything. I have lots to say and the people close to me just can't handle listening to it anymore. So this is more of a vice in letting me discuss my thoughts, frustrations, and whatever with whoever chooses to listen.

Things may get nasty. I may even divulge some of the industries best kept secrets. Like what really happens if a pill falls on the floor? Or, is the pharmacist judging you for having gonorrhea? The answer to that second question, is probably yes, by the way.

Stay tuned...I will try and be regular...like Mr. Oldman thanks to the stool softener I gave him last week.

Have a nice day.