SIR,—Congratulations to the forward-looking Leeds pharmacists who have grappled with the juggernaut called e-commerce to serve the complex needs of today's empowered consumers who simply want ease of access and speed of service at their convenience (PJ, November 27, p849). This venture is similar to Europe's first drive-through pharmacy (PJ, October 21, 1995) and once again proves that everything and anything may be possible in pharmacy. There are no rules to limit our imaginations, only apparent obstacles like National Health Service contracts, the Medicines Act, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Code of Ethics, pharmacists' traditional comfort zones, etc. Watch this space for an explosive rash of me-too copy-cats by this time next year. Time and tide waits for nobody, so pharmacists and non-pharmacist professionals should now be proactively collaborating with the Society to investigate all possible scenarios to determine for ourselves minimum standards for internet pharmacies to protect patient safety, satisfy payers and ensure the profession's survival.
Michael Achiampong Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands