Pharmacy is in danger of being overwhelmed by a second wave of the e-commerce
revolution, just as it was when the first internet pharmacies were established
at the end of last year. New developments could cut pharmacists out of the loop
entirely.
Participants at this year’s Unichem convention heard how American systems
allow customers to purchase medicines directly. These purchases are credited
to a local pharmacy, which receives a percentage of the profit, but are delivered
directly from a wholesaler to the customer. Unichem revealed at the convention
that similar technology has been included in its new e-commerce system, pharmology.com,
to be launched next month (see p531).
Unichem said that such a system would not be offered in the United Kingdom against
the wishes of the profession.
Once again, the interests of commerce appear to be driving forward developments
in pharmacy rather than the interests of the profession as a guardian of public
safety. The biggest questions relating to such a system are who exactly is responsible
for these sales and who is supervising them? Is it the pharmacist at one of
Unichem’s branches, newly registered as pharmacies, or the pharmacist at
the pharmacy to which the sale is credited? Can either be held responsible if
the sale takes place automatically in the middle of the night? To put it bluntly:
the buck stops where?
There is a grave danger that the premature introduction of such a system could
foul the whole path leading to electronic prescription transfer and e-pharmacy.
Lord Hunt (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health) specifically warned
in his speech to the British Pharmaceutical Conference last month (PJ, September
16, p398) that proper
safeguards and professional standards were needed for electronic or distance
sales of medicines. No one should be in any doubt that further controls would
be introduced, if needed, if e-pharmacies could not demonstrate their own quality
and security of service, Lord Hunt said.
There is no doubt that some customers will find electronic ordering and home
delivery of medicines more convenient, and the profession must take the lead
in deciding how, where and when such systems are introduced. Developments in
e-commerce continue to move at breakneck speed. Horizon scanning exercises will
need to be repeated regularly to take account of this. New guidance should be
issued prospectively rather than restrospectively and should be sufficiently
flexible to cope with subsequent developments. If pharmacy does not control
the process it may not receive the benefits which new technology could offer
to the medicines management process.