The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 264 No 7079 p82
January 15, 2000 News

Scottish pharmacists criticise lack of winter planning

Pharmacists in Scotland have criticised the Scottish Executive Department of Health for failing to implement an effective public education campaign to help deal with winter health problems, including the current influenza outbreak. The Scottish Pharmaceutical Federation approached the Department in September last year, asking it to mount a publicity campaign similar to that planned for England and Wales, where £1.3m has been spent on magazine advertisements and printing health advice on millions of bus tickets and beer mats (PJ, November 13, 1999, p775). One of the key messages of that campaign was for the public to seek help from pharmacists. However, the Scottish Department decided that a national campaign was not needed and it was left to local health boards to run their own campaigns. That changed when the 'flu problem escalated and advertisements were taken out in Scottish newspapers just after Christmas offering advice on colds and 'flu. The first of these made no mention of advice from pharmacists although that was corrected when the advertisement was rerun a few days later.

Scottish pharmacies have been busy despite a lack of advertising

Mr Ian Johnstone (vice-chairman, SPF) said a major opportunity had been missed in Scotland to give people the best advice to help them cope during the 'flu outbreak.
"The [English] Department of Health recognised there would be winter problems so I do not know why the Scottish Executive did not. After all, 'flu does not stop at the border. Somewhat belatedly, it decided to get involved in a press campaign and managed to miss out pharmacists altogether - the first port of call for the vast majority of people suffering from colds or 'flu. I am afraid that just beggars belief."
However, the lack of a campaign in Scotland has not prevented pharmacists being inundated with requests for advice, according to Mr George Romanes (chairman, Scottish Pharmaceutical General Council). He said that he did not share the SPF's criticism and that the public was making good use of the services of pharmacists.
Meanwhile the SPF has joined with the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland in calling on the Scottish Executive to establish a winter pressures working group to develop a strategy for future years which avoids the problems seen this winter.