My daughter and her husband recently bought their first house.
It needs some work and – surprisingly – Dad’s advice has been sought.
The constant part of Dad’s advice is to avoid cowboys.
Don’t go for the cheapest just because it’s cheapest, I keep saying, because it’ll cost more in the long run.
So why do we ignore that splendid advice in medicines management?
- Of course, we’ll protest that we don’t, but all too often we head for the bottom of the cost pile and pocket a saving today, knowing that it may cost us tomorrow.
- It doesn’t work with plumbers, and there’s no reason to think it will work with medicines supply either.
Val Shaw and her colleagues have taken a different approach.
Adopting Don Berwick’s sage approach that going after quality and safety is also the route to lowest total cost, they have pursued a medicines optimisation strategy that applies the principles of medicines optimisation and project management methodology to achieve better care for patients while still generating savings as a side effect.
She will share her knowledge in a satellite at the Pharmacy Management National Forum.
Better care for less cash has to interest everyone, doesn’t it?