Weighing in at over 600 pages, CHAIN DRUG STORES ARE DANGEROUS exposes the disastrous consequences of applying the McDonald's fast food model to pharmacy. Pharmacy has been transformed into a high-speed, high stress, high stakes business in which powerful prescription drugs are just a blur on a hamburger assembly line. This is the book that will change the way America views pharmacy and chain drug stores. This is the book that the big drug store chains do NOT want you to read. DON'T BE A VICTIM OF A DEADLY PHARMACY MISTAKE!! This book expands the devastating expose' of chain drug stores discussed in the author's first book (PHARMACY EXPOSED: 1,000 THINGS THAT CAN GO DEADLY WRONG AT THE DRUG STORE, 2012) Interview with Dennis Miller, R.Ph, author of CHAIN DRUG STORES ARE DANGEROUS (via PharmacistSteve.com) PharmacistSteve.com : How does CHAIN DRUG STORES ARE DANGEREOUS differ from your previous book, PHARMACY EXPOSED ? Dennis Miller : PHARMACY EXPOSED is 753 pages in length. It discusses a wide range of issues and controversies in pharmacy. An editor at a pharmacy magazine suggested to me that I should consider narrowing the focus of that book by perhaps dividing it into two books. I took her advice. My new book focuses primarily on chain drug stores. There are approximately 220 pages of new material in CHAIN DRUG STORES ARE DANGEROUS that are not in PHARMACY EXPOSED. PharmacistSteve.com : Why do you feel that chain drug stores are dangerous? Dennis Miller : It is my view that the chain drug store model based on speed and understaffing guarantees that mistakes will occur. Many pharmacists feel that the chains have made the cold calculation that it is more profitable to sling out prescriptions at lighting speed and pay customers harmed by mistakes than it is to provide adequate staffing so that mistakes are a rarity rather than a predictable occurrence. PharmacistSteve.com : Have you considered the possibility that the chains will sue you because you have written a book claiming they are dangerous? Dennis Miller : Yes I've considered that possibility. Of course, in America anyone can sue anyone for any reason. My view (I hope I'm right) is that it is less likely that I can be sued for claiming that the business model of an entire industry is flawed and dangerous. If I had stated that Chain A or Chain B or Chain C is dangerous, I think that would be much more risky legally. My brother suggested that I put a small picture of the top four or five chains on the front cover of my book. It is my feeling that that would be asking to be sued. As I said, I think that the entire chain model is flawed and dangerous because it is based on speed and understaffing. I'm not focusing on any single chain. I have worked for three major chains in my career. I think that some chains have policies that result in fewer pharmacy mistakes. I think that some chains provide better staffing levels than others. I'm not saying that all chains are equally dangerous. I'm just saying that the very common chain model based on speed and understaffing places the public at risk from serious pharmacy mistakes. Some chains have a very bad reputation among pharmacists as regards working conditions, understaffing, and the ease with which serious mistakes can occur. PharmacistSteve.com : What is your prescription for solving this problem? Dennis Miller : I think that the state boards of pharmacy are intimidated by the immense legal and political clout of the big chains. I'm hoping that some directors of state pharmacy boards stand up to the mighty chains even at the risk of having those chains complain to whatever state entity oversees that state board. The chains try to influence state legislators by claiming that the state board of pharmacy is anti-business or that it is overstepping it's authority. The chains claim that working conditions are employer-employee issues outside the purview of the state boards of pharmacy. I hope that some directors of state boards of pharmacy show courage and stand up to the big chains even though it may place those state board directors' jobs at risk. The primary job of the state boards of pharmacy is protect the public safety. Most of the pharmacists I know feel that the state boards of pharmacy are doing a horrifically poor job in protecting the public from pharmacy mistakes. Many pharmacists feel that the state boards need to figure out some realistic way to require safe staffing levels in pharmacies. PharmacistSteve.com : What do you hope to accomplish in writing this book? Dennis Miller : My hope is that the general public becomes outraged at the common occurrence of pharmacy mistakes. My hope is that public anger will force the chains to provide adequate staffing for the safe filling of prescriptions. It is absurd to me that chain drug stores are based on the same model as McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, complete with drive-thru windows. Most of the pharmacist