Technician registration
Disheartening article
From Mr J. D. Khan, MRPharmS
SIR,—I was very disheartened to read the article "Registration of technicians - Society should opt out" by Mr John Ferguson (PJ, September 11, p391). I found it extremely long and lacking in substance for such an eminent person as the ex-Secretary and Registrar of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. More importantly, I was disheartened by his "status quo" views on such an important issue, which he has always been against. In response to his article I would like to raise the following issues:
- The Society's Charter to which Mr Ferguson is referring was written sometime in the past century and needs updating
- An environment of mutual collaboration should be created with technicians who should not be seen as potential threats
- Registration and accreditation of technicians is essential if we are to realise Pharmacy in a New Age aspirations
- The notion that this issue is controversial is not a reason to procrastinate
Mr Ferguson claims that the Council has answered none of his questions. I will answer them as a pharmacist.
- Registration is essential to safeguard the public and maintain standards; the concept should be embraced rather than arguing about who should be allowed to register
- A listing procedure like that used for medicines counter assistants is not sufficient; it is seldomly adhered to in practice, as evidenced by Which? reports on medicines sales
- The Society should oversee registration even if it does not become the registration body. The Society would be the most appropriate body but other bodies such as the Society of Apothecaries and Association of Pharmacy Technicians could also be considered
- Since the Society boasts of a large, unnecessary surplus of funds at every annual general meeting, investment in staff and resources should be the least of its worries, especially if the function benefited the profession
Finally, Mr Ferguson has merely listed obstacles to registration without considering the full implications of not registering technicians and, worse still, the prospect of being registered under another professional group, notably nurses. What are needed are new ideologies and philosophies which can deliver pharmacist aspirations into the next millennium, not the historical hindrances to unresolved issues coming from yesterday's politicians.
J. D. Khan
Rochdale, Lancashire