The Jobbing Doctor and Dr Grumble are concerned about over the counter antibiotics becoming available at a time when bacterial resistance is a problem.
The Oldest Sage Witch is in no doubt that they will not be truly OTC in the sense that paracetamol can be bought over the counter.
We witches are sure that these medications have been chosen to propel the status of The Pharmacist as a Clinician into fast-forward.
Patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection will be encouraged to go to their local chemist’s shop rather than their GP. They will be seen in a little consulting room by The Pharmacist-cum-Clinician. There will be a consultation of sorts following a strict protocol.
Will the pharmacist not examine the patient’s urine, or will they hold a little bottle containing the urine up to the light to see if it’s cloudy and prescribe an antibiotic on that basis? Or will there be another little room next door with a Scientist-cum-Clinician looking at the urine under the microscope, plating it out and reporting the sensitivity pattern to the pharmacist the next day? Or will there be an automated machine that pharmacists can handle on their own? Doubtless, in the fullness of time, polyclinics will offer a small laboratory service – and there will not be a medically qualified microbiologist in sight!
There will be no width or depth of medical experience.
There will be protocols.
And most of the punters won’t give it a thought.
After all, if the symptoms don’t clear they will be told to go and see A Real Doctor to sort it out.
There is a You Tube presentation of The Man that we witches believe will have been a strong force behind this initiative.
IS THIS THE MAN WHO IS A PRIME MOVER
ON THE PHARMACIST-CUM-CLINICIAN?
It might be worth getting to know him (at least in cyberspace).
Because there may be more Pharmacist-cum-Clinician activities to come in preparation for the polyclinic agenda.
Much more.
The Oldest Sage Witch knows well The Jobbing Doctor and Dr Grumble are fully aware of the agenda, but she thought she would get her tuppence worth in too!
Since The Oldest Sage Witch put pen to paper, The Ferret has entered the arena.
Welcome back Ferret, we witches were getting worried about you….
See, bloggers do hunt in packs, Jobbing Doctor!
Despite over a decade in power the government has utterly failed to get pharmacists to provide a reliable out-of-hours service to dispense medicines to the acutely sick promptly and conveniently.
Perhaps they should focus on that problem before getting pharmacists to take on anything else. If they can’t take on the job they are trained to do how can they be expected to take on anything else?
By: drgrumble on August 31, 2008
at 6:19 pm
Sometimes, too, the pharmacy chains have one of their pharmacists double as shop manager. Presumably this saves money. Then they have to deal with sales pressure, absenteeism, holiday rotas, getting the Christmas stock out in a timely manner etc etc. But, ultimately, this is the individual pharmacist’s choice and I suppose it increases the monthly wage packet.
Sometimes a pharmacist is the only qualified member of staff on site and therefore cannot leave the premises for a lunch break. Otherwise the shop has to close.
All of this and a new clinical role too.
The pharmacists may well revolt.
Some pharmacists are overstepping their mark re antibiotic prescribing in hospitals too. This only happens when they are being egged on by a senior pharmacist on a status trip. As is always the case, this could not happen but for some senior clinical (MBChB) colleagues who have become government puppets.
There is little thought given to the chain of responsibility for patients. Who it is that ultimately stands up in court?
By: Witch Doctor on August 31, 2008
at 7:31 pm
[...] course, like over-the-counter antibiotics, the pill will not be truly available [...]
By: The Pill - a smokescreen « The Witch Doctor on December 26, 2008
at 12:16 pm
[...] you noticed the little consulting rooms that have sprung up nowadays in pharmacy shops up and down the country? These professionals are now [...]
By: Professional negligence « The Witch Doctor on April 9, 2009
at 8:59 am