I was reading a fellow pharmacist’s blog. He narrated how he had a conversation with an executive from one of the divisions of the company he works with. It was the flu frenzy season when patients rush to get the flu shot against outbreak of flu. The executive made a comment that astonished him and his colleagues. She said “I hate to say it, but the flu is good for business!”
This statement brings out the thinking of most pharmacy business owners. The opportunity of business is paramount to many as against the humanitarian service they should offer as altruistic businesses. They are more focused on the spread sheets and numbers and pay less attention to the fact that people are sick. They are more focused on how much accrues to their bank account at the end of the day. This should not be so. Pharmacists are called to service. The money that comes is a byproduct of such service. When you serve well you will surely be rewarded with money for the value you create
Here on PharmacyMBA, we teach business strategies to help pharmacists and pharmacy owners run good and profitable business. We do not promote monetary interest over altruistic value.it is important that a pharmacy business should not simply ignore the business part of its activities. However, paying attention to business should not be at the expenses of the welfare of its patients. There should be a balance between the two.
One of the items in the oath we took as pharmacists states that “However, I do consider the health of the patient or patrons above all and will abstain from whatever may be deleterious to their health”. Placing the pursuit for money over service to our patients is an act that is deleterious to our patients.
I have had discussions with some senior colleagues and they accused the younger generation of pharmacists as being involved in such acts. While I can’t take this as an indictment, I will advocate for a rethink and holding on to what we are trained for first and foremost, the service to humanity. The pharmacy business is lucrative and we are surely bound to make a lot of money if we apply some of the strategies taught here on PharamacyMBA but we must put service first.
As men of honour , we join hands