From Mr E. O. Opaleke, MRPharmS
SIR,—It was interesting to read the report of the October Council meeting (PJ, October 16, p630) particularly the part about internet pharmacy. It is evident from recent events around the world that the internet is here to stay and we cannot bury our heads in the sand and pretend that it will not affect pharmacy or that we can continue to prevent others from providing e-commerce services on self care and health care products or even prescription drugs.
The development of internet services is growing at a phenomenal rate which needs to be harnessed to pharmacy as a matter of urgency, and the longer we wait or stall its application in pharmacy the more it benefits those outside pharmacy or the select few within pharmacy that are in the know about this technology.
There is no doubt that e-commerce in pharmaceuticals will have a significant impact on pharmacy practice. Pharmacists in general should be well aware and prepared for this inevitability. In my opinion we should be working towards the proper control and policing of sites offering pharmaceutical services and products and proactively encouraging the consumer to visit sites with accreditation from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and with a guarantee of consumer protection. This is a very important area that can enhance the role of the pharmacist on the internet while at the same time offerring wider consumer choice without compromising current distribution of pharmacies.
A total block on sales of medicines on the internet is not an option that is likely to be favoured by the Government or consumers and may be seen as protectionism of high street pharmacies in a new world of commerce.
Internet pharmacy services can be innovative, and are capable of offering real time visual and interactive communication with internet pharmacy staff at the push of a button and at a time, place and pace convenient to the customer. An advantage of this technology is that it can also be combined in a seamless trading with existing business capturing a different kind of clientele without the need for proliferation in the number of high street pharmacies.
I hope the brochure produced by the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union and other documents that will shed more light on development of internet services in pharmacy will also be made available for the general membership in time for individual pharmacists to assess all the implications and make appropriate provisions.
Emmanuel Opaleke
South Harrow, Middlesex