There is one topic in the back of all of our minds today that could have unprecedented ramifications on the world of hospital pharmacy: The administration’s goal of universal health care. Though the possible outcomes are many, the reality is this is a topic that should be discussed and considered in earnest. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and here at Pharmacy Purchasing & Products we encourage you to not only consider what a future with universal health care will mean for our industry, but also what systems you will need to have in place to accommodate these coming changes.

As we approach the third quarter of the year, many of you are looking ahead to the immediate future, and what the next fiscal year will bring in terms of budget and development. We want you to keep in mind that there is an important relationship between finance and safety. In an ideal world, we would all have unlimited budgets for technological advancements. In the real world, though, we have to decide what areas we can devote our resources to, and this requires balancing upfront costs with savings that will be realized through emergent events avoided. At PP&P we appreciate this delicate arithmetic, and you can look to our pages for the answers you need.

August is also just around the corner, and that means PP&P’s State of Pharmacy Automation survey results will be presented. Keep your eyes peeled for our dedicated issue. This is a great resource for you to benchmark your automation improvements against those of your peers. This issue will also contain data reporting on the latest developments in pharmacy budgeting, which we hope will be a useful resource for you as you develop your budget for next year.

All the Best,

R. Mitchell Halvorsen  
Publisher

P.S. ASHP has named William W. Churchill the recipient of the 2009 John W. Webb Lecture Award for extraordinary dedication to fostering excellence in pharmacy leadership. Bill is the executive director of pharmacy services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and one of our invaluable editorial advisors—Congratulations Bill!