From Mr R. W. Selfe, MRPharmS
SIR,—Roger Glover's letter (PJ, January 29, p181), quoting the manufacturer's charge for 100 sodium bicarbonate 500mg capsules at £30.54 when the active ingredient costs only 7.5p, seems to me to highlight one regrettable consequence of modern "original pack" dispensing.
A good many years before my retirement in the 1980s, empty gelatin capsules used to be available in graded sizes and it was well within the capabilities of any pharmacy to fill these against a prescription. Obviously, it was time consuming, but yesterday's dispensaries could be as busy as today's, and the pharmacist was called upon for consultation over a multitude of problems.
The patient, whether private or National Health Service, would suffer a delay no longer than might result from awaiting the next van delivery, but the pharmacy would receive payment for the professional skills involved rather than reimbursement for whatever price a manufacturer had chosen to impose.
Reg Selfe
Benfleet, Essex