- Email: [email protected]
The Way It Looks to Us
HROUGH the years pharmacy has been Tsubdivided into several branches, no one of which has spoken clearly to the public about either its own 'achievements or those of pharmacy as a whole. Other professions have employed effective public relations programs under one guise or another. The activities and · services of pharmacists have been largely left to speak for themselves. And what the public thought they will guid~ the program in the direction that will make an important contribution to the s~id was not always the interpretation we profession. On that basis the AMERICAN had hoped for. At times there has been public applause PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION and its repbut too often credit has gone to an individual resentative on 'the Committee have proor organization without recognition of the ceeded to supp
for specific cases." Unfortunately most of the cases are not so specific but are subclinical. The large majority of vitamin deco R.ficiencies in this country never reach the stage of advanced symptoms similar to fQ\ G;l [;jfJ 'll~ 0Q those mentioned above by our enthusiastic \.::!J C0 ~ ~ friends. When these symptoms ~re present -except for night blindness and ricketsthe cause is usually a condition other than calling as a "business of selling merchandise vitamin deficiency. We can only reach the hackneyed conthrough a retail store," who can blame the public for taking us at our word. If we do clusion that vitamins promiscuously mernot live pharmacy as a profession, rivers of chandised are pinch-hitting for less modern printer's ink from a public relations office nostrums which delay correct diagnosis and alienate both the pharmacist's patrons and cannot convincingly paint it otherwise. his physicians. Those of us who, for economic reasons, must supplement phar--------~-------maceutical practice by merchandising had best promote equally respectable but nonprofessional lines of wares. Most pharmaRE you getting your share of the--business? cists have already followed this line of reaDo you and your sales people know the soning, realizing that the alternative course proper approach to give an intelligent presentation and to close a - - sale? Do you know the type of will sabotage the upward struggle of phar- - to recommend for specific cases as nervousness, macy as a profession from tlie nadir it poor appetite, lack of vigor, intestinal disorders, reached a few years back and will bring poor resistance to infections, night blindness, sore down on our heads more regulatory 'red eyes and lids, low blood calcium, low blood phostape from government agencies. phate, restlessness, rickets, constipation, nutritional anemia? If you do not know the above Perhaps no effective modern medication answers attend the - - CLINIC to be held at the has been so perverted by a few unscrupulous Moose Hall . .. . advertisers as the vitamins. Some pharAre these the words of a fugitive from the macists, like some physicians, have not been Food and Drug Administration hawking a able to withstand this ballyhoo barrage. super-patent medicine to unwary druggists? Yet, we believe that most pharmacists Not at all. It is a clarion call to a special are aware of their public health responsi"professional" meeting on vitamins staged bilities and realize both the importance and by a local pharmaceutical association in limitations of vitamins. They dispense one of the most highly developed sections vitamins as preventives when their patrons of the country. This would deserve little believe they are getting an inadequate diet, notice except that it is symptomatic of a as well as on the recommendation or precondition also prevalent in other areas. scription of a physician. Such a practice If this meeting, bac1sed by certain vitamin will draw little criticism from allied profesmanufacturers, fulfilled the . promise of its sions. True vitamin therapy is another publicity there should be repeat perform- matter-a field for which even the average ances before every medical society in the medical practitioner is often ill equipped. country. Physicians have been hard pressed If we are to argue successfully that vitato keep up with the flood of scientific litera- min concentrates are medicaments that ture in recent years on the complexities of should be confined to the' pharmacy they vitamin therapy. They, too, are anxious must be dispensed within the limitation to "know the type vitamin to recommend that that premise implies.
®
ill
U
· ®
A
129
for specific cases." Unfortunately most of the cases are not so specific but are subclinical. The large majority of vitamin deco R.ficiencies in this country never reach the stage of advanced symptoms similar to fQ\ G;l [;jfJ 'll~ 0Q those mentioned above by our enthusiastic \.::!J C0 ~ ~ friends. When these symptoms ~re present -except for night blindness and ricketsthe cause is usually a condition other than calling as a "business of selling merchandise vitamin deficiency. We can only reach the hackneyed conthrough a retail store," who can blame the public for taking us at our word. If we do clusion that vitamins promiscuously mernot live pharmacy as a profession, rivers of chandised are pinch-hitting for less modern printer's ink from a public relations office nostrums which delay correct diagnosis and alienate both the pharmacist's patrons and cannot convincingly paint it otherwise. his physicians. Those of us who, for economic reasons, must supplement phar--------~-------maceutical practice by merchandising had best promote equally respectable but nonprofessional lines of wares. Most pharmaRE you getting your share of the--business? cists have already followed this line of reaDo you and your sales people know the soning, realizing that the alternative course proper approach to give an intelligent presentation and to close a - - sale? Do you know the type of will sabotage the upward struggle of phar- - to recommend for specific cases as nervousness, macy as a profession from tlie nadir it poor appetite, lack of vigor, intestinal disorders, reached a few years back and will bring poor resistance to infections, night blindness, sore down on our heads more regulatory 'red eyes and lids, low blood calcium, low blood phostape from government agencies. phate, restlessness, rickets, constipation, nutritional anemia? If you do not know the above Perhaps no effective modern medication answers attend the - - CLINIC to be held at the has been so perverted by a few unscrupulous Moose Hall . .. . advertisers as the vitamins. Some pharAre these the words of a fugitive from the macists, like some physicians, have not been Food and Drug Administration hawking a able to withstand this ballyhoo barrage. super-patent medicine to unwary druggists? Yet, we believe that most pharmacists Not at all. It is a clarion call to a special are aware of their public health responsi"professional" meeting on vitamins staged bilities and realize both the importance and by a local pharmaceutical association in limitations of vitamins. They dispense one of the most highly developed sections vitamins as preventives when their patrons of the country. This would deserve little believe they are getting an inadequate diet, notice except that it is symptomatic of a as well as on the recommendation or precondition also prevalent in other areas. scription of a physician. Such a practice If this meeting, bac1sed by certain vitamin will draw little criticism from allied profesmanufacturers, fulfilled the . promise of its sions. True vitamin therapy is another publicity there should be repeat perform- matter-a field for which even the average ances before every medical society in the medical practitioner is often ill equipped. country. Physicians have been hard pressed If we are to argue successfully that vitato keep up with the flood of scientific litera- min concentrates are medicaments that ture in recent years on the complexities of should be confined to the' pharmacy they vitamin therapy. They, too, are anxious must be dispensed within the limitation to "know the type vitamin to recommend that that premise implies.
®
ill
U
· ®
A
129