This is to be the first of a series of columns on the State of Pharmacy. I would hope that it strikes a nerve (Ulnar, Vagus, Phrenic or any other Czechoslovakian left winger). Actually, I just hope that you are still reading.My theory is this: pharmacists are way too nice. The U.S. Gallup poll has once again cursed us by calling us the most trusted profession. A Canadian survey of consumers states that pharmacies give the best service of all retail businesses.People don't have to make an appointment to see us. We're great.And that's why we're in trouble. When the governments say, “Let's cut drug costs,” they have two choices. They can reduce what they pay the mean old manufacturers or they can stiff those nice, pleasant, honest, hardworking pharmacists. The choice is easy. And the pharmacists take it.In Ontario, the co-pay recently came along. And the Ontario government said, “Let's make it optional. Pharmacists are nice people. They'll absorb the loss.” So some nice pharmacist does. Then a customer comes in and says, “Can you put this Claritin Extra on a prescription for me but not charge a fee, so I can save my insurance company some money?”So the pharmacist cheerily responds, “Certainly, because I too appreciate the difficulties insurers are experiencing.”Recently I spent five minutes discussing prescriptions and drug therapy with a client. When I finished, she thanked me and said, “That's why, when I want questions answered, I come here. When I need a prescription filled, I go to the other place.”I feel sainthood coming.If you still doubt how nice pharmacists are, just go to a meeting of the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association or a provincial association meeting—you'll hear a whole bunch of pharmacists telling each other how nice they are.And then companies like 'Wolf-Weiner' and 'Walter Mathau' Consultants come along and send pharmacists a letter that asks, “How would you like to be paid less to do what you do, except we want you to do more while we pay you less?” And some nice pharmacists say, “Sure.”Then there are the pharmacists in the grocery stores and whatnot who, God bless 'em, say, “We can provide pharmaceutical care for 99 cents a script.” Why? “Because we're nice guys, and we'll do something for nothing.”In university, we took one course on law. It was the wrong law course. We should have taken the course that lawyers take where they learn to look someone straight in the eye and say, “That 15 minutes you talked to me just cost $200.” Or maybe we should counsel over the phone with a 1-900 number.We'd get $2.99 a minute and throw in the heavy breathing for free. Hey, we're nice guys.Ken Burns is a nice guy and pharmacist at Errington !.D.A. in Chelmsford, Ont.
