Pharmacist

[Drooper]

I was at the chemist today having a prescription filled when I caught sight ofthe ubiquitous homepathetic treatments and I started to think.

The people who dole out restricted drugs at these shops are trained chemists. How do they balance their scientific beliefs with the chemical nonsense that is hompeopathy?

I thought I should ask, but didn't have the guts, thinking that it would be taken as a vexatious question. Which in one way it would be because we both know the answer would be - "because I make money from it".

Should we not start a campaign to ask this question every time we go into a pharmacy. I don't mean to antagonise the shop assistants, just those who whould (and presumably do) know better.

[Benguin]

Easy money and the customers want it.

We did have a rather unproductive thread a while back where I offered a fiver to a trolling homeopath if she could find me a genuine qualified pharmacist who had turned to homeopathy (rather than just selling the remedies because the profit margin is 400% higher than, say, nurofen).

I almost lost my fiver, on account of a board member of the "Alliance of Registered Homeopaths" appearing to be still registered with the royal pharmaceutical society. But as he never responded to a rather innocuous email from myself asking him if he would be so kind as to confirm whether he would describe himself as a "Homeopath" or "Homeopathic Pharmacist", and then the poster here got banned for running sock-puppets, etc.

Hey-ho. I only offered the bet because I wanted to get to speak to a UK pharmacist who buys into this Homeo quackery and find out how they square the theories with the science they understood to qualify ....

[BPSCG]

Originally posted by Drooper
The people who dole out restricted drugs at these shops are trained chemists. How do they balance their scientific beliefs with the chemical nonsense that is hompeopathy?Probably the same way that CVS, the biggest drug store chain in the US, justifies selling cartons of cigarettes.

Sell people the smokes today, then sell them bronchodilators, beta blockers, and ACE inhibitors down the road.

At least the homeo drugs are harmless, except to the wallet.

[Benguin]

Originally posted by BPSCG

At least the homeo drugs are harmless, except to the wallet.

Yeah, and if you're really ill you'll be back for proper medicine soon enough.

[Occasional Chemist]

Originally posted by Drooper
The people who dole out restricted drugs at these shops are trained chemists. How do they balance their scientific beliefs with the chemical nonsense that is hompeopathy?

In the US, it's relatively rare to find a pharmacy that is not corporate-owned. So, my answer to your question would run something like this:

They don't. The pharmacists are not the ones who own the store or choose what items are stocked. They come in to collect a paycheck, just like the guy who cleans the floor at night.

Okay, so they get a BIGGER paycheck, but they have the same influence on what's sold at the shop. :)

[Shane Costello]

In Ireland at least corporate chains of pharmacies aren't as prevalent. Drooper might enlighten us as to the type of establishment where he was getting the prescription filled.

[Drooper]

Originally posted by Shane Costello
In Ireland at least corporate chains of pharmacies aren't as prevalent. Drooper might enlighten us as to the type of establishment where he was getting the prescription filled.

It was part of a corporate chain, the Unicare group in Ireland (at the Frascati centre in Blackrock to be specific), which are German owned. I still con't see how a pharmacist could look a customer in the eye and sell the stuff to them, regardless of whether they own the store themselves or not.


On selling cigarettes. At least they do what it claims on the packet. "smoking causes cancer" etc.

[Rob Lister]

Someone please correct me if I am mistaken

In the U.S., a pharmacist prepares and fills perscriptions from medical doctors. All perscriptions made by a doctor or filled by a pharmacist require FDA approval at some level.

The pharmacist may advise a customer on non-perscription items/non-FDA approved items, but they do not otherwise deal with such.

The store, which employs the pharmacist, (and which the pharmacist may or may not (usually not) own) sells whatever it can profit from.

[Lisa Simpson]

Originally posted by Rob Lister
Someone please correct me if I am mistaken

In the U.S., a pharmacist prepares and fills perscriptions from medical doctors. All perscriptions made by a doctor or filled by a pharmacist require FDA approval at some level.

The pharmacist may advise a customer on non-perscription items/non-FDA approved items, but they do not otherwise deal with such.

The store, which employs the pharmacist, (and which the pharmacist may or may not (usually not) own) sells whatever it can profit from.

Yes, that's the way it works. My first job was in an independently owned pharmacy, he didn't sell any homeopathic remedies that I can remember (it was almost 20 years ago). But he did sell cigarettes and junk food, both bad for your health.

[Shane Costello]

Originally posted by Drooper:
It was part of a corporate chain, the Unicare group in Ireland (at the Frascati centre in Blackrock to be specific), which are German owned. I still con't see how a pharmacist could look a customer in the eye and sell the stuff to them, regardless of whether they own the store themselves or not.

Well, remember you're in a country where ethics in public life is something of an oxymoron. In terms of brass neck pharmacists purveying homeopathic treatments barely features on the richter scale of shamelessness.

Does anyone know if pharmacists are bound by a code of ethics similar to the hippocratic oath? Maybe a pharmacist selling homeopathic treatments is in contravention of it, presuming the pharmacists governing body has adapted a definitive line on homeopathy.

[Rolfe]

They all do it. Even if they look a bit embarrassed about it. (Anyway, if they didn't, where would we get our supplies for when the homoeopaths tell us just to take 30C belladonna or whatever for a few days and we'll be totally convinced? :D )

It's perfectly legal so long as they don't make therapeutic claims for the stuff. And the labelling and so on are carefully worded to be on the right side of the law. You'll never find a homoeopathic preparation advertising that it actually does any good for anything in a chemist's shop.

Rolfe.

[Rob Lister]

Originally posted by Lisa Simpson
Yes, that's the way it works. My first job was in an independently owned pharmacy, he didn't sell any homeopathic remedies that I can remember (it was almost 20 years ago). But he did sell cigarettes and junk food, both bad for your health.

Quess what! I got a answer from a pharmacist. I was mistaken.

I went to RiteAid for some beer (they've got the cheapest beer near me) and remembered this thread. I looked toward the back and the pharmacist guy wasn't real busy. I see him often enough that he recognizes me by sight (I buy ALOT of beer there). I stopped over to chat. I asked him and I'll record what he said to the best of my ability

PharmGuy: 'Yes, pharmacists can prepare certain homeopathic perscriptions. We don't do it here but there are pharmacies that will. Do you need one prepared? I can possibly find one in the area if you want me to.'

Rob (almost embarrassed): 'er, no. I was just wondering because of an internet posting I saw. What can you prepare exactly?"

PharmGuy: 'If it contains a perscription medication, you have to have a perscription and directions from a doctor. But we don't do that here. If it just contains over-the-counter ingredients, we can mix them per the customers directions. But we don't do that here."

He was REAL clear on the 'we don't do that here' bit.

[Lisa Simpson]

The pharmacist I used to work for would have laughed his @ss off if someone had wanted to him to make up a homeopathic remedy for them. He was always very good with giving advice to the customers about how medicines worked.

[Benguin]

I'm struggling with how you can buy a homeo preparation when Hanneman is very clear on the point of you collecting it blind from a woo-specialist?

Sorry, homeopath.