From Mr A. G. M. Madge, FRPharmS
SIR,—The statement that the next editor of Martindale might not be a pharmacist (PJ, March 25, p465) reflects the changing structure of our Society. It is moving from the personal to the corporate or function basis. When our Society was founded it was, to put it simply, pharmacists for pharmacists. It has survived the entry of multiples, chains, etc. We have moved with the times into a corporate structure like any other modern, big business organisation.
Formerly, a pharmacist was the nominal head of any sector, assisted by those with specialist knowledge. We, now, have five directorates to run our Society and four heads of these are non-pharmacists. I am not decrying this evolution or denying the various capabilities or acumen of anybody. We know in this changing world our future will be as meaningful for pharmacy, national and international, as in the past - a model to the world. No doubt the advantage of outside knowledge and experience will be beneficial to all. It is the structure of big business development of today. We must remember that being in the era of devolution in the EU we will need all outlooks on the problems that lie ahead.
Our motto still remains Habenda ratio valetudinis and though there is the saying "only a pharmacist can think like a pharmacist", it is the loyalty and co-operation of working together for the common good of our profession that augur well for pharmacy.
Mervyn Madge Plymouth, Devon