From the Executive Director

Penny Shelton, PharmD, CGP, FASCP

In Search of Quality

Penny Shelton

Recently, I purchased three no-iron dress shirts online. I recognize everyone’s style is a little different, I prefer nice crisp, long-sleeved, button-up blouses. Those who know me well and are reading this are probably shaking their heads in the affirmative and muttering, “Yep, that’s Penny!” What has happened to quality? When I buy a no-iron shirt, there should not be any question as to what that means. You take it out of the dryer—no fuss—and it is ready for the hanger or your body, sans the wrinkles. I purchased my new shirts from a well-known, online retailer that I have been buying clothes from for years. After only one wash and dry cycle, clearly wrinkles were present, and the facing or placket for the buttons is now designed so narrow that any little movement makes the shirt gape open. Interestingly, in that same load I also laundered and hung an old favorite shirt from the same online retailer. I have had this “fav” for about a decade. Its label reads “wrinkle resistant”, implying it is not as fuss-free as a “no-iron” shirt. The cuffs are a bit frayed, a couple of the buttons have been replaced, and the color has faded with time, but hanging side-by-side with the new ones, the material was notably more substantial, better made and was indeed wrinkle-free, unlike the more-costly, brand-spanking new ones.

This recent purchase and laundry episode got me to thinking about quality, cost, and value. On a regular basis, as consumers, we pay higher prices for less quality or volume than we used to. Whether it is with clothing, as noted above, or your favorite grocery item that over time has either been downsized or reformulated. The changes generally are not in the consumer’s favor and are often cleverly disguised amidst new and improved packaging. This as you know is manufacturing trickery at its best, full of clever words and shiny baubles designed to hopefully distract us from recognizing we are getting less for more. Higher quality has become synonymous with higher cost.

In today’s world there are too few examples of where more quality and greater value are being offered for no increase in price. Of course, this got me to thinking about NCAP! Our Association is offering more for our members, and we have not raised dues nor raised the price of registration for our Annual Convention. In fact, Convention this year has more to offer than ever before, including more networking opportunities and a greater number of continuing education hours, which means there’s actually more value dollar-for-dollar on your investment to come to Convention than ever before. I attend a number of national meetings each year. Recently, I have been astounded by a couple of things. At each national meeting that I attend, when I review the available sessions, some of the most innovative or cutting edge topics are being presented or co-presented by pharmacists from North Carolina. Secondly, the cost, for registration alone, for many of these national meetings approaches or exceeds $1000. It is obvious that we have some of the best talent right here in NC. Check out the full program in this issue and then ask yourself if you can afford to miss out on Convention. If you are seeking greater quality for a reasonable price, the best deal is right here in North Carolina with NCAP. Pharmacy Proud – Penny.