The Numark pharmacy group has launched a campaign to encourage people to use their local pharmacy, as opposed to signing up to online pharmacies. It raises interesting questions about online providers of our prescription medicines, as well as remote dispensing hubs being rolled out by some larger pharmacy chains.
#Don'tBeDave is actually a valid and succinct argument for the brick and mortar pharmacy, because not everything has to be done online. Most of the world still visit their trusted pharmacy where they can talk to people about their healthcare needs and be treated for minor problems. It's not perfect but it works, so why the sudden push to automate everything in this country?
Sometimes there's a wait to get your prescription dispensed, but it's worth it for the more personal service. If there's a problem with my prescription, say, the dose doesn't look right, the pharmacist is on hand to intervene. A little inconvenience is worth knowing I'm receiving better care.
During my time as a locum pharmacist, I've been hearing horror stories of prescriptions not being delivered on time (sometimes over a week late). When they do arrive, things are missing. In some cases, larger chains send repeat prescriptions to remote dispensing hubs. The pharmacy ends up being a drop off point and patients are not always informed of this.
Before you decide to click, think about your local brick and mortar pharmacy.
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