From Mr P. Walton, MRPharmS
SIR,-The observations by the former chairman of the Statutory Committee (Mr Gary Flather) (PJ, January 29, p179) regarding the number of Asians referred to the Committee versus the number of non-Asians when looked at as a percentage of register size (3.5 to 1) needs careful scrutiny.
Mrs Sharpe says the Society is going to maintain an ethnic register. What information will this register contain? Will the register be open for members of the public to view? Will it be published in the PJ? Will the referring body be included?
Racism is a very difficult thing to see in society as a whole, but becomes very much more transparent in a limited group of people, such as those listed on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society register.
Mr Flather commented that he had not observed racism within the Society, which raises the question as to how this figure has come about. I find it totally unreasonable to think that 3.5/1 is an accurate reflection of wrongdoing within the body of pharmacy.
Philip Walton
Swinton, Manchester