Pharmacists on stand-by duty as part of a rota system

Does that exist in other countries?

[NameNick]

In Germany pharmacists are on stand-by duty as part of a rota system. As a customer you can get kind of a schedule/calendar from your local pharmacist so that you'll know which pharmacy is on duty and open when you need some pills at night after all shops are closed.

Does that kind of stand-by duty exist in other countries too? It doesn't necessarily have to be pharmacists. Can be doctors too. And what would that duty schedule/calendar be called?

I've developed a PHP script that shows the current on duty pharmacist/doctor/whatever and I'd like to translate the script and sell it worldwide.

Any ideas?

NN

[tbear]

Happens everywhere in spain....

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Happens here in the UK too.

[thecoalman]

No such thing in the U.S. I'm aware of, generally the pharmacies are open and closed pretty late. Pretty sure there is at least one in my area that is open 24/7 and this is not a really densely populated area.

As far as the doctors if you need one at 3 A.M. wouldn't that generally require a trip to the E.R. anyway? Those would be staffed 24/7 by at least one doctor, If it was absolute emergency I'd imagine you could get prescription filled there too.

[NameNick]

Happens here in the UK too.

How is it called there?

NN

[HelenDev]

How is it called there?

Duty chemists.

If you do a web search for this term there is a site that is attempting to show this info for the UK. Not that well though by the looks of it.

[NameNick]

Duty chemists

Thanks, that gets me closer :-)

If there was a list with dates and names of pharmacists/chemists, what would that list be called: duty chemists schedule? Duty chemists calendar? Standby schedule? Standby calendar?

In Germany it's called "emergency service calendar" or "standby schedule".

NN

[sem4u]

Duty chemists or late night dispensing chemists?

[anallawalla]

"Rota" is a term better understood in the UK. In Australia, "roster" is more common, but we do understand Brits most of the time.

The after-hours (or stand-in replacement) doctors are called "locums" in NZ and Australia, from the Latin "locum tenens" and they do have rosters.

All large cities have at least one 24-hour pharmacy but we call them chemists and pharmacies interchangeably. There isn't a rotating roster between them. Either you are a 24-hour chemist or you are not.

24-hour doctors and nurse services are there, but not very widespread or convenient. The protocol here is to go to the nearest hospital's Emergency desk and wait for hours to be seen (free) if you cannot wait until your regular doctor opens up. The doctors here operate "surgeries" whether they perform minor surgery or not. They are called GPs (general practitioners).

[sonjay]

I believe that in most cities of any size in the U.S. there are neighborhoods with "duty chemists" on duty all night on designated street corners. ;)

[Old_Honky]

Duty chemists.

I don't know what the service is like in other areas of the UK but down here in the sticks the late night duty chemist closes at 7:00 pm. Big deal!

[Lipik]

In Flanders (belgium) there is such a system for docters, pharmacists and dentists.
The rota is called "wachtdienst" (service-on-duty). The person is called "dokter/apotheker/tandarts van wacht" (doctor/pharmacist/tentist on duty)