Even if some of these Information Technology (IT) discussions seem to exist somewhere in an ethereal world above that relevant to a small community pharmacy, it is essential to realise that these sorts of strategies and changes are already being assimilated by players in the industry, and will increasingly determine the nature and efficiency of interaction between the pharmacist and other players.

The Year 2000 ("y2k") software problem or "Millennium Bug" arises from the use of a two-digit field to identify years in computer programs (for example 85 = 1985), and the assumption of a single century -- the 1900s. Any software so created will read (or attempt to read)"00" as the year 1900. Programs that use dates (including programs within machinery such as building security systems or HVAC systems) will fail or malfunction if these errors are not corrected.

The site, http://www.y2k.com/ , explores the multitude of legal issues related to identifying, controlling and remediating the problem, in addition to the litigation that will arise if/when the malfunctions begin.

The Year 2000 Problem (Y2K) and Developing Countries site ( http://www.undp.org/undp/info21/new/n-y-disc.html ) has special sections focusing on: Some Selected Scenarios, The Financial Dimensions, Responses by Developing Countries, A Systematic Approach and, Selected Solution Providers.

Another site, http://www.year2000.com/ , also includes information on email lists and user groups

• Understanding the information revolution and its implications for developing countries and the world's poor

• Sharing strategies, experiences and tools in harnessing knowledge for development
• Building new partnerships that empower the poor with information and knowledge, foster international dialogue on development, and strengthen the knowledge resources of developing countries.

To subscribe to the list, send a message to:
MAJORDOMO@MAIL.EDC.ORG
In the body of the message, type the text:
SUBSCRIBE GKD

Considering the first aspect:

As Scot Finnie (Protection At the Desktop, PC Magazine SA 1997) points out: "It wasn’t all that long ago that unidentified floppy disks, too easily guessed passwords, and nosy colleagues were the biggest threats to desktop PC security. Those hazards have taken a back seat to the Internet, which exposes your PC to a whole new set of potential risks." These are potential risks that can be minimised by careful choice of the source and nature of files downloaded to your computer, and making use of the security options that are built into most web browsers.

However, sometimes one has to take calculated risks to view some content where the content-provider is trying to collect information about the users of his/her web site. In "Covering your tracks" (Cookie Managers, PC Magazine SA Sep 1997) Neil Randall warns: "For many, one of the chief allures of Web browsing is the seeming anonymity of life online. But the truth is that Web browsing is hardly an anonymous activity. Behind the scenes, Web servers keep logs of the type of system and browser you’re using as well as where you’ve come from. In some cases they can obtain even more detailed information." (More info at http://www.cdt.org   - Privacy Demonstration)

In reality, the second problem of interception of transmitted data does not appear to be a major problem. Various encryption technologies are however being developed to deal with some of these concerns.

Q: Is the Web over-hyped?

A: I don’t think so. There is a huge, huge untapped potential. The Web can be compared to the telephone or electricity. Today people wouldn’t feel it if they suddenly didn’t have the Web anymore. But that won’t be true in the future. Like electricity, it’s a foundation…once you are connected all the time, no matter where you are, everything will be different.