From Mr B. Patel, MRPharmS
SIR,—While community pharmacy may be demanding, it is certainly not difficult. The issue is not about locums versus employers; it is about good and bad practitioners. The basic problem is one of courtesy - courtesy to one's patients and colleagues. "Locum" (PJ, December 11, 1999, p948) highlighted several examples of bad practice but fell into the trap of blaming others without exploring what more locums could do themselves.
Not many computing graduates work as pharmacy assistants so labelling systems are easy to use. Perhaps "Locum" could have telephoned the pharmacy in advance to find out about the labelling system and to glean basic information.
Locums should be obliged to examine the way they operate. As pharmacists we must realise that our every action has a knock-on effect to the patients and staff. The correct answer is always the harder option. It is far easier to point the finger of blame than to ask oneself, "What more can I do?"
Bakul Patel
Purley, Surrey