Sunday, May 31, 2009

All-rounders can do the trick for Pakistan: Younis

Pakistan captain Younis Khan on Sunday laid the emphasis on sensible batting from his side in order to lift the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 in England.

Speaking at Lord’s during the captains’ press conference on the eve of Pakistan’s first warm-up against South Africa, Younis played down the lack of aggressiveness at the top of the order and, instead, pointed out the presence of all-rounders as his side’s secret to success.

‘I wouldn’t worry about slow openers because we have big hitters like Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, who is a top Twenty20 player,’ Younis said.

‘We actually need players like Salman Butt at the top of the order since the ball is seaming and swinging and he’s someone who can last 20 overs in the middle.’

Apart from Salman, Pakistan have two other specialist openers in the side, Ahmed Shahzad and Shahzaib Hasan, both of whom are yet to make their Twenty20 International debut.

Younis, reluctant to divulge exact details, hinted at the possibility of Kamran Akmal or Afridi opening the batting if the situation arises. He also urged his team, lacking the killer instinct in the last World Twenty20 Championship, to ensure the added experience since then is utlilised effectively.

‘We played really well last time round [in South Africa] but failed to lift the trophy as we lacked the finishing touch. We lost to India prior to the final because we failed to hit the stumps [in the bowl-out] and in the final we failed to overcome the final hurdle after getting so close.

‘We have, however, worked on that since and we would love to be in the final again and hopefully going one better this time.’

Younis also termed the tournament as ideal preparation, especially for youngsters, if the plans of having a ‘home’ series against Australia in England due to security concerns go ahead. While the PCB has been in discussions with their Australian and English counterparts, Younis is already looking ahead to receiving good support from the ‘passionate’ Pakistan fans based in England.

‘Playing in Pakistan is more important than playing anywhere else. However, with the current situation, playing in England, especially county and Test cricket is everybody’s dream.

‘I was particularly excited when I was playing my first Test here at Lord’s. So I think it’s a good decision [playing Test series against Australia] since we have terrific support all over England. It will also allow our supporters to see their team in action especially with no team willing to visit Pakistan now.’

For now, following the warm-ups matches against South Africa and India, Pakistan kick off their campaign against hosts England on Sunday before taking on the Netherlands two days later.

A place in the semi-final is the least Younis wants to achieve in the tournament as he hopes to take back something for the fans to cheer about, especially with the current state of affairs in Pakistan.

‘We have good, experienced players and I see no reason for us not to feature in the last four at least. Obviously I’d love to be holding the trophy at the end of the tournament as it will help bring Pakistan back on the world cricket stage.

‘It will also give our public something to cheer about at home, especially with the absence of international cricket they may witness at home in the coming months,’ Younis concluded.

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper Jun
1, 2009

Friday, May 29, 2009

Afridi, Gul Pakistan's trump cards

Yasir Arafat, the Pakistan and Sussex all-rounder, has labelled Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul as Pakistan’s trump cards for next month’s World Twenty20.

Speaking after a match-winning performance with the ball for Sussex at The Oval, Yasir termed the presence of all-rounders and quality death bowlers as Pakistan’s strong point and predicted the team going one better this time.

“This [the Twenty20 format] is about all-rounders, attacking with the bat and performing with the ball and since we possess the likes of Afridi, Shoaib Malik and myself as well as the young Fawad Alam, I’d rate our chances of lifting the trophy are very high,’ Yasir told Dawn. “However, with the form Gul and Afridi have been in, I’d say we would rely heavily on them to take us to that trophy.”

Pakistan arrive in London on Saturday and will be take on South Africa at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Monday in the first of the two warm-up matches before taking on arch-rivals India at The Oval next Wednesday. While Yasir, who will miss the first warm-up due to his county commitments, has had enough time to get acclimatized to the conditions, the rest of the squad will have a week, and the two warm-ups, to get used to the conditions.

“I think a week will be enough, especially since the weather has improved considerably here in England. The fact that the squad has had a camp in Bhurban and that they are involved in the domestic twenty20 tournament right now will help them hit the ground running.”

Yasir, who took 2 for 26 in the win against Surrey, is quite pleased with his own performance leading up to the tournament. Following his switch from Kent this year, Yasir has taken 12 wickets in six one-day matches while guiding Sussex to the semi-finals of the Friends Provident Trophy and hopes the lack of fast-bowling all-rounders in the side will allow him to replicate his form for Pakistan as well.

“This is ideal preparation for me prior to the Twenty 20 tournament and I’m glad the PCB approved my request of spending the days leading up to it here in England. My job is to perform whenever given the chance and I hope I get the selectors’ nod since I’m a fast-bowling all-rounder who has experienced the conditions.”

Yasir made his Test debut against India in December 2007, taking seven wickets and scoring 44. However, he only managed two wickets in his next two Tests, the home series against Sri Lanka, but is hoping for a good performance in the tournament and be named in the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka that takes place in July and August.

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper May 29, 2009.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Quick off the blocks

Aniket Parikh joined Clockwork Pharmacy straight after his pre-reg year. Brimming with ideas and enthusiasm, he undertook extra responsibilities and remained active right from the start. Faras Ghani examines his route to success, the Pharmacy Business Newcomer Award 2008, despite his recent arrival into the profession...

As with most students embarking upon university life in their late teens, Aniket Parikh too was not quite sure of the future. While a science-related career seemed almost certain, particulars and the exact path that he would followed stayed unclear.

‘Due to the uncertainty, I did some research into different professions I could go into and realised pharmacy was one of a change,’ Parikh said. ‘I wanted to be part of something which was in transition and where I could make an impact and that is what decided it for me. I had a feeling that I can make a difference and take it to another level and that is probably the main factor that brought me into pharmacy.’

True to his word, Parikh managed to take it to another level and only a year and a half into the profession, he became the winner of the Pharmacy Business Newcomer Award 2008. Despite being new in the field, Parikh became one of the most active pharmacists in the area while also improving the design of his pharmacy to make it more customer friendly.

‘It was weird how the journey to receiving the award began,’ Parikh said. ‘My dispenser had applied for an award and was being interviewed with regards to that. I got talking to the interviewer and told him about my daily routine and day-to-day tasks that I carry out and all of a sudden he told me to apply for an award myself as he seemed quite impressed.

‘I had thought about applying but just hadn’t gotten round to filling out the forms. However, this push was what I needed and I went ahead and filled out the forms. That is all history now and here I am with the award.’

Although Parikh did not expect to win the award – have we not heard that before? – he, and his staff and customers, felt really proud of the effort, especially considering his rawness in the profession. ‘I’m really modest so I didn’t really shout across the floor that I had won an award. But I’m quite proud of my achievement actually. In the short space that I’ve been practicing, to win an award is quite pleasing. It did take a while to sink in but I feel very, very proud.’

Despite the award, it has not been all that easy for Parikh since stepping into the real world.

‘The real world of pharmacy is completely different from what we learnt about at university. While at college or university you can’t really tell what it will be like after you graduate.’

Terming people skills as the biggest requirement in order to effectively deal with customers, Parikh was wary of the fact that it was not taught during the course. ‘That [people skills] just comes with experience to be honest and you learn that with time.

‘In that sense, university doesn’t really prepare you for the real world and customers. Also, the scientific knowledge that you gained over the years, you don’t really need much of that during your daily tasks here at the pharmacy. You tend to keep that at the back of your head and hope it comes in handy when required.’

While Parikh enjoys the business aspect of running a pharmacy, he is more keen on providing increased services to his patients that walk through the pharmacy doors. Terming himself a people person, he loves interacting with patients and building a strong relationship with the community as a result. ‘I think that is where the profession is heading as well [towards the services side] rather than being stuck dispensing all day long.’

Considering himself lucky in the sense that his script numbers are generally lower than a lot of other colleagues, Parikh can, as a result, concentrate on providing the various services in his pharmacy. ‘I see someone who is doing five to seven thousand prescriptions per month and I can understand how they find it difficult to concentrate on other tasks and services. I think that is something that needs to be ironed out.’

Although wanting a greater role in public healthcare for pharmacists, Parikh admitted the rewards should complement the work done. ‘Although it is beneficial for the profession as well as the individual that an increased number of services are being offered, the reward does seem unfair. I like the fact that I’m doing more and more for the patients but at the same time would like some sort of reward.

‘The GPs are rewarded highly for work they do, and quite rightly so. But I think emphasis should be put on the pharmacy sector as well.’

Terming MURs a great way of interacting with and getting to know the patients, Parikh reminded fellow pharmacists of the reward they carry as well. ‘It is labouring in terms of all the paperwork that follows the consultation and it can affect the number of MURs a pharmacist carries out. However, it is a useful act to carry out and enables you to get involved with patient care on a higher level. It also gives you more of a voice than the GP.’

Despite being low on his own MUR numbers, Parikh has indeed planned an improvement in the coming weeks, trying to balance pharmacy life with the dispensing and the services he provides. ‘Sometimes it can happen that I advise patients verbally but don’t get time to do the paperwork, especially during busy times. That is something that I can relate to. However, there are always quiet periods where you can go and do all the paperwork and make sure the verbal consultation is accounted for.’

Parikh, although being successful at everything he has done so far, is wary of his rawness to the field. Content with establishing himself as a pharmacist before chasing up his other ideas, including an enhanced diabetes management role, he has left much of the shopfloor aspect of the pharmacy to the more experienced staff that he has.

‘When I started work here, the pharmacy was well established anyway. I did bring in a few ideas for the front and the displays, as well as useful information leaflets from the PCTs. It’s still quite early on in my career and I'm still trying to establish myself as a pharmacist. Therefore, for me it’s more important to focus on the pharmacy side which is why I tend to leave shopfloor staff to take care of their sections. I will take on a more active role in the business side of the pharmacy but that will come later.

‘The other side of my profession I’d like to get involved is diabetes management. I come across a lot of patients with diabetes so some time in the future I’d like to branch out in that direction. Obesity, too, is a huge issue nowadays and it is something like that I’d devote more time to in the future.’

Critical of the new pharmacy bodies to be launched next year, Parikh feels that things are too vague as they stand. ‘In theory I think it’s a good thing as I feel strongly about pharmacy having a strong voice, one that is widely recognised and appreciated. And, if by the current setup that is achieved, then that can only mean it’s beneficial for the profession. But like I said, that’s in theory as things are really vague at the moment and I don’t really know how it’s going to work out.’

Moving forward, Parikh insisted new roles and responsibilities for pharmacists was a given vision. ‘You have pharmacists with a special interest, something they enjoy doing more than the rest. That will enable a more effective community service and a prominent role of pharmacists in the society. Therefore, as a profession, it’s definitely moving in the right direction.’

As for his own direction, Parikh – who got married recently – is busy balancing his nine-to-seven work life with time for his personal life, including sports.

‘You can’t just work 60 hours a week and not have time for yourself. If you work during the week, take the weekend off to recharge yourself. Enjoy things that you really enjoy and that will help your work life as well.’

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in Pharmacy Business May 2009

A note from Vegas

Over 100 delegates flew across the Atlantic for the ninth annual Avicenna Conference held last month. While the emphasis remained on providing increased, and relevant, services to the patients, the future of healthcare in the UK was also looked upon as well as the impact of IT on the pharmacy sector. Faras Ghani revisits the business sessions, complemented aptly by the social events in Las Vegas...

Emphasis on providing increased services was the aim of the ninth annual Avicenna Conference in Las Vegas last month. Salim Jetha, Avicenna’s CEO, made this point very clear by repeatedly uttering ‘services, services, services’ before explaining how that is the way forward for not only the members but also pharmacy in general.

While speakers presented on a variety of topics ranging from generics, parallel imports (PIs), and implementation of technology in the business to discussing the Health Bill 2009, it was the ‘services for the future’ message that was highlighted throughout both sessions.

Sharing results from a survey undertaken recently by Avicenna, Jetha said that the biggest issues facing the pharmacy world were stress, Category M and administration burden. ‘While the financial and time-management issues are weighing pharmacists down greatly – with both being inter-related – you need to ensure that your time is spent in the correct places,’ he said.

The message – of freeing up valuable time to spend on more effective tasks for the business – was echoed around the hall by Trevor Gore, sales development controller at Reckitt Benckiser, as well. ‘Pharmacists are control freaks,’ Gore said. ‘You need to drop all the administration tasks and cut down on dispensing as well. That is not why you became pharmacists. Book-keeping and dispensing can be done by computer programs and robot. You need to invest time offering services that hold value for the patients, delegate tasks and inform your staff – your biggest asset – of news shaping the pharmacy world.’

Earlier, Bharat Shah, managing director Sigma Pharmaceuticals, highlighted issues facing independent pharmacies following the changes in the NHS pricing and commissioning. The absence of a mid-term review, supply shortages, on-going margins inquiry, and the lack of price per dose were some of the concerns raised in the presentation.

Keeping in line with the concerns, Shaun McCormick, direct of sales (south) for Cordia Healthcare Group, termed 2008 as the ‘year of tumultuous change’. ‘We have witnessed a worsening exchange rate, generic price deflation, and fierce competition among shortliners,’ McCormick said. ‘With PIs falling away, less time should be spent on price negotiation and more on offering increased services in order to survive.’

The emphasis on undertaking more and more MURs was also emphatically delivered to the attendees by a majority of the speakers. It was not just the financial benefits that pharmacists can obtain by undertaking the reviews but also place trust in patients’ minds and ensure pharmacy becomes the first stop for health-related queries.

Terming the conference a great success, David Gration, chairman Avicenna, predicted a strong showing from Avicenna in the coming months and remained optimistic of its continued upward performance despite the economic gloom engulfing the world.

View from the top
Pharmacy is a very isolated profession and seldom do pharmacists get a chance to network and interact with their colleagues. One of the objectives of this conference was to allow pharmacists with an opportunity to do exactly that. And learn from each other. The other objective was to hear from and talk to industry experts which will benefit them greatly. We also tend to involve business with fun because pharmacists are always discussing work so we thought we’ll make this enjoyable for them. It acts as a useful bonding exercise and the conference turned out to be a one big family affair. Listening to comments from the attendees, it was welcoming to hear what is going on nationally as well as across the Atlantic, as portrayed by our speakers from USA and Canada. From the business sessions, I’d ideally want our members to go back and realise that to stay in the game, yesterday’s work practice will not suffice. They need to consider new things – this is where services come in – and new innovations. The industry is heavily burdened via administration tasks and I would advise pharmacists to release the time spent on those tasks and utilise for tasks beneficial for their own self and the business. There is a general consensus that we need to work together; adopting an interdependent model rather than an independent model. The need to get together and discuss issues was greatly felt and this conference has allowed us just that. Salim Jetha CEO Avicenna plc


It’s Vegas, baby
The conference is not just about business networking and presentations, Salim Jetha, Avicenna’s CEO, had made it clear prior to the event. He wanted the members, having endured the 11-hour flight from Gatwick to McCarran International with their families, to experience a family atmosphere and enjoy their stay.

Judging by reactions and the looks on everyone’s faces, enjoy it they did. On the menu for the next five days was an Italian dinner amid a Lamborghini galore; a rather drizzly rafting experience down Colorado River drenched not only by the spray (and the rain that we had seem to carry with us across the Atlantic) but also the history of the area; a traditional subcontinent dinner – declared the best he has ever had by Uma Patel, director Avicenna – and drinks on the 51st floor; and a farewell date with the Rat Pack.

In between those and the business sessions was a tour of the Grand Canyon – a must, according to experts, for anyone stopping over in Las Vegas – regular visits to the roulette tables and a walk down the neon-lit Vegas strip.

Welcome change for the pharmacists from the daily hectic rituals and the verbal mauling – albeit justified – they received from the speakers at the business sessions. For the wives – a fair few were partners in their husbands’ business – and children, it was a welcome Easter break. And with Elvis making a surprise visit his presence felt in the house during the farewell dinner, it served energy enough for the long journey back home.

Future of healthcare
‘Direction of travel cannot be changed but it is important for pharmacists to align themselves with the direction’ were Ajit Malhi’s words of wisdom during his presentation at the Avincenna Conference in Leas Vegas. Malhi, director of marketing services at AAH Pharmaceuticals, stressed that the UK health market will undergo major changes as UK’s population increases 12 per cent between 2004 and 2031, especially as the over-65 age group has seen a two per cent increase since 1981.

‘Life expectancy is ten per cent higher than it was in 1960 and over-60s account for 58 per cent of all scripts dispensed,’ Malhi said. ‘On average, thre are 38.4 items dispensed per year for that age-group, much higher when compared to under-60s (that stands at 14.3). The number of elderly patients will rise by 5.5 million by 2040 and will form a huge segment of the healthcare market.’

Speaking from a pharmacist’s point of view – his Saturday mornings are spent in a pharmacy – Malhi, in a similar manner to the preceding speakers, urged others to focus on developing their services. ‘While performing your daily tasks, you also need to focus on aspects of marketing and improve your skillset. You need to take your business into local establishments like schools and engage with NHS and PCTs by talking to them.’

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in Pharmacy Business May 2009

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Rana willing to quit ICL for Pakistan

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider the forced ostracism of the ICL players, including him, in order to revive Pakistan cricket from its unyielding slump.

Rana, of Lahore Badshahs and currently representing Yorkshire in county cricket, also offered to quit the ICL immediately — in a similar manner to Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq — providing the PCB guarantees him a spot in the national side.

‘We are all here to serve our country, if the PCB wants us to,’ Rana told Dawn.

‘However, no one from the PCB has contacted us yet with regards to cancelling our ICL contracts and representing Pakistan. They have even selected the squad for the Twenty20 World Cup now and despite us [Naved, Razzaq, Imran Nazir] being named in the original 30-man squad, a PCB official is yet to speak to any of us.’

‘Since the board is aware of our decisions and future plans, it is up to them to contact us, ensure us that we will be in their plans and if that is the case then we are more than willing to cancel our ICL contracts.’

In a recent statement, the PCB clarified its position on the ICL players and that a decision on their national reckoning would remain pending until the ICL contracts are cancelled.

‘The PCB’s position on players who have participated in ICL is that such players must resign from ICL if they are to be considered for selection by PCB. While permitting such players to play cricket, PCB will decide on case-to-case basis the penalties to be imposed and the time period for which they will remain banned,’ a PCB statement said.

Rana, however, remained sceptical of the statement and wanted assurance from the PCB before breaking ties with the ICL. ‘We can’t simply cancel our contracts just to get the Board to talk to us. What will happen if we cancel our contracts and get dumped by the PCB as well?’

Judging by his refusal to get involved with the American Premier League (APL) until it gets sanctioned by the ICC as well as ICL’s latest season cancellations, Rana obviously wants a swift return to international duties.

‘I’ve been approach by the APL organisers to represent the Pakistani team in the tournament but I’d rather hear from the PCB on the league’s status before confirming anything.’

However, with the PCB unable to take a swift stance on the matter, and based on Rana’s experience of the English conditions and his prowess with the bat as a pinch-hitter, the PCB may well rue the missed opportunity at the World Twenty20.

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper May 07, 2009