The Supermarkets should be able to employ Pharmacists and give appropriate advice and not dispense medication customers might want but is unsafe I agree, but they are excluded from offering that full service. The federal and state governments in concert have effectively imo nationalised the Pharmacy business with their policies and pricing system without due regard to the risks of owning such a business with all the responsibilities that come with it. The franchisees are also captives of SIG, API and other suppliers etc who are controlling their market share via having agreements with egotistical Politicians who must want something more than just a smile.
It's not slander it's a fact that pharmacists who own a business must know they require the goodwill and good nature of Health Department Ministers with every new agreement to enable the continuation of their businesses without all of the possible competitors in the mix. Every new agreement might change their fortunes and plans and it must cause undue stress in owners not knowing how to plan. I get that they want to protect and keep everything as before but at some stage another government might decide to nationalised it properly and then what? Would you then need to employ at great expense an ex PM or political fundraiser turned lobbyist to discuss a change of mind? Would ASIO be bugging the phone calls then? Lol. Imo the industry should face up to equal or phased in competition in business and there must be many pharmacists who would not mind working for a large supermarket chain surely and some graduates might not wish to stay private or operate their own business. Give them an extra option.
I stopped going to one pharmacy after I contacted the owners several times to ask that they consider they stop providing the Methadone program and thereby removing the risk of attracting some of the worst and some dangerous people I have met in the justice system, some were armed robbers and shoplifters to name a few and I really could not see the benefit of encouraging such people into their premises without first providing better security for staff and stock. I felt sorry for adjoining businesses too. In the end I stopped going to that shopping centre.
People are still going to buy medication over the dark net when they can't get prescriptions from their GPs or from chemists won't co operate and you can't stop stupid people but there is more both pharmacists could do to enhance the experience but there is no method for others to become involved in the closed shop yet.
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