From Mr J. G. Thompson, MRPharmS
SIR,—What an insult to pharmacy is the “OTC referral scheme in Leicester” (PJ, August 14, p226). Here we have yet another attempt by the powers that be to downgrade the role of the pharmacist and the pharmacy. Doctors will attempt to do the pharmacist’s job using referral cards. If this is the way forward the logical question is why have a pharmacist at each pharmacy when a trained monkey could read the referral card and supply the product ticked; indeed why waste time training the monkey when obviously any old chimpanzee can do the pharmacist’s job.
When will the powers that be realise that the medicinal cost of a general practitioner consultation is small compared to the cost of a consultation? Each costs the National Health Service approximately £20 or more, so even if the patient buys the referred medicine the NHS has still spent £20 or so on the consultation. The patient could buy the same medicine from the pharmacist at no cost to the NHS.
When will the powers that be realise that the most cost effective way forward would be to give the pharmacist a prescribing role rather than give the GP an over-the-counter dispensing role?
John Thompson
Inverkeithing, Fife