What to say when customers try panic buying medication

Over the past few weeks almost every pharmacy in the country has had customers trying to panic buy medication. Most of these customers are well-meaning, but they’re worried. Worried that shipments of medicine from overseas will abruptly stop, or worried that all the other panic-buyers will have already emptied pharmacy shelves when next they present their scripts. Most are understanding when purchasing limits are explained, but there are the odd few who need a little extra reassuring.

We’ve put together a few key points you can use that might help put these customer’s minds at ease:

Compounding Pharmacies – Australia’s old-school back-up

Explain to customers that old-fashioned pharmacies – custom compounding pharmacies – are still around and are able to make-up many medications from scratch if Australia can’t get supplies in from the commercial manufacturer overseas. These compounding pharmacies are waiting and at the ready to gear up production if and when needed. They’ve got this covered.

Trade ports are still open for business as usual

While holiday cruise liners are currently cooling their engines at dock, bulk trade ports around the country, and importantly around the world, are still open and busy as ever. It’s discretionary tourism that’s on hiatus, not highly essential services like trade and goods distribution. Medicine shipments are still getting through.

Spare a thought for others

When you panic-buy you’re leaving less for others. These ‘others’ may be in more need than you. While hoarding may provide some temporary psychological relief, it just might come at the cost of someone even more sick, vulnerable and in-need than you.