From Mr V. M. Summers, MRPharmS
SIR,—I was amazed to read the editorial response to Norman Lannigan's address, mainly regarding the output from the schools of pharmacy (PJ, November 6, p731). The logic that increasing the numbers of graduates will worsen recruitment to hospital pharmacy is bizarre, to say the least. In pharmacy employment, the rules of supply and demand operate, so if there is a restricted supply of pharmacists then employers compete for the available pharmacists by offering better pay and conditions. This is when hospital pharmacy loses out, as it cannot compete with the private sector in terms of pay over the short to medium term. If there are sufficient pharmacists available then the competition is less fierce and all sectors of pharmacy will be able to recruit properly.
It is obvious that we need more pharmacy graduates produced from schools of pharmacy and it perplexes me and my colleagues in all branches of pharmacy why the Society is not willing to pursue immediately an increase in pharmacy students at a time when the NHS changes are creating huge opportunities for the profession. The numbers of doctors and nurses in training are being increased to meet the shortfall. Why not pharmacists?
Vince Summers
Chief Pharmacist, Borders General Hospital, Melrose, Roxburghshire