I think the last time I was in Sydney was a very long time ago. From having spent most of my life in Perth, I feel Sydney is a very busy and noisy place in comparison. A far change from my home where I wake up listening to the birds. Anyway, I came to Pharmacy Connect this year to meet new people, build relationships, look for opportunities for my clients, and of course to learn.
One thing that really stood out for me this year and became apparent is pharmacy is really at a cross roads. I believe pharmacy is on the cusp of a new wave of community-based pharmacies that are more health focussed than ever before and less retail focussed. The worth of a pharmacist at present is being played out on a pricing battlefront and a turf war being pharmacy, corporates and GP’s. Let us look at some of the facts that were spoken about at the conference. 17% of pharmacies are operating at a loss. GP’s earnings are on average 3 times higher than pharmacists. The public don’t view pharmacists as primary healthcare providers. Unfortunately, they are viewed as retailers.
