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In the past day or so, I have read where medication currently prescribed only by Doctors,could in the near future be dispensed and managed by pharmacists . Starting this year in fact, in certain pharmacies selected for a trial period, the management of the drug Warfarin, will begin. As I understand it, Warfarin is prescribed as a blood thinning therapy, for serious, life threatening conditions, and is currently needed by 60,000 NZ patients .
This is the medication that will be the trail blazer to this scheme. The Parmaceutical Society President is confident that the scheme will be rolled out across the country and that it will enable all pharmacies to demonstrate that they are well capable to manage patients with other health issues needing regular prescriptions too, such as Cholesterol , Diabetes etc. The claim is that it will be more convenient for the patients, time and money saving and far more efficient for everyone concertned, to do it this way. In reading the article, I noted that there was one missing word - safety.

I wonder what your thoughts are on this . From one point of view, would you be happy to entrust these aspects of your health and wellness maintainance to a pharmacist, rather than to your GP ?
And from another point of view, Are you always, confident that GP is completely 'up with the play,' regarding the drugs / combinations of drugs etc, that he /she prescribes to you. ?

They do this with various drugs every year in Australia. We get the third degree from the pharmacy staff on lots of things, they ask what else we are taking and have we had this particular drug before and what it is for. We have PBS (prescription benefit scheme) here and I think changing the drugs category just saves money on that because the prices inevitably go up.

And am I the only one to have had medication substituted for one from another supplier?

Over the last year 3 of mine have been changed to a new supplier. Doctor Reddy in India for example, ..where before they used to be manufactured in Germany!.

No, I don't agree to chemist's diagnosing & supplying me with drugs.

And cheaper for who? Certainly not for the patient!

Nor will I let a nurse consult me, ...only my Doctor will do that.

I won't even jump on scales, no matter how much they plead or cajole.

My weight is MY business!

Many GPs don't manage the care of people on drugs such as Warfarin very well. It is a temperamental drug which isn't stable. It's efficacy is affected by things such as alcohol and green vege consumption and thus needs constant monitoring with regular blood testing. I have seen some very poor management and would rather have a Pharmacist manage my care while on Warfarin any day. PS I was involved in research looking at a drug to replace Warfarin. Very interesting and still in the testing stages.

I have been thinking quite long and hard about this since I introduced this topic and in particular to my own answers to the two questions that I raised .
(1) Would Ibe happy to entrust this type of maintainance aspect of my health and well being to my pharmacist ?
(2) Am I always completely confident that my GP is right up with the play regarding the drugs, and/or combinations of drugs that he prescribes to me ?

My answers are yes to one, and no to two.
I guess that might surprise some of you.
I [b]always[b] get my prescriptions made up at the same pharmacy each time. A small practice, where the chemist who owns it greets his customers by their first names as they come in. He has two young ladies who work for him to look after counter sales, but he does all the dispensing . I realised just how important it was to deal with the one person always, when one day, he read my prescription, looked in the computer, and then asked, " Kate, are you still taking such and such ? ( a drug I had been prescribed at a previous visit to my Doctor)
When I said that indeed I was, he told me to take a seat, as he would have to call my Doctor, because what he had prescribed to me that day, was not compatible with the earlier one. He got the Doctor to authorise the alteration, and I went home very grateful that I had been saved from some rather unpleasant side affects. Since then, I have always gone out of my way a little bit, to deal with the same chemist, rather than just to one nearer home, or one nearer work, or whichever one was the most convenient on the day. I have complete confidence in my pharmicists ability, and he ALWAYS explains certain aspects of each prescription to me thoroughly, as to when and how and why to take it. Things like - it will be more effective taken on an empty stomach, or always take with food. This is usually after the Doctor has merely told me to take it 3 times a day with no other specific instructions.

The answer to (2) is really answered by my response to number one.
Of course, this is in my own personal case. I guess it all comes down to individuals. One thing is certain though - I believe it is very important to find yourself a good pharmacist, and to stay with him/her for all your needs.