The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7156 p51-52
July 14, 2001

  Pharmacist careers
  Pharmacist awards
  Sale of P medicines
  Primary care pharmacy
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  The Journal

Sale of P medicines

Customers like to browse

From Mr J. B. Thomas, MRPharmS

There seems to be an increasingly heated debate about the initiatives of Numark and Moss in testing open-shelf selling of P medicines.

In 1961, I had my shop altered so that it was completely open plan, without even a counter. I remember the Pharmaceutical Society’s inspector of the day approving the premises and remarking that the control of P medicines is more about the manner in which a shop is run than about where the P medicines are. The range of P medicines is much greater now (but for how long?) than it was then, but I think the remark is still pertinent.

Customers like to browse. They like to pick up products, read the cartons and other information. They will ask for advice when they are ready. I think we all have the same feeling when looking at electrical goods. We want to be left alone for a bit. At the moment customers cannot do that with P medicines. They are immediately thrown into a sales situation. No wonder they sometimes walk away without taking the advice. They need thinking space.

This brings another niggle of mine to the fore: “Ask your pharmacist for advice.” Most of the time the request could have been handled as well by my assistants, sometimes better because they have more time. What is the point of training assistants to a high standard, then try to persuade the public to bypass them and only to ask the pharmacist? Most of the time the assistants should decide when the pharmacist is to be involved.

Practising good pharmacy does not mean one has to be heavy handed. Skilled control of anything usually consists of a light hand that can turn heavy only when needed. We should ponder that when we restrict customers rights unnecessarily, restrict pack sizes and numbers of packs, and are too officious before we sell any P medicine.

Barry Thomas
Melton Mowbray,
Leicestershire

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