From Mr B. Shooter, MRPharmS
SIR,—I am most concerned about some of our leaders' apparent obsession with the need for pharmacists to prescribe. Hemant Patel's comment to The Journal after the local pharmaceutical committee conference that the issue of prescribing was about confirming pharmacists' professional rather than trader status (PJ, March 25, p485) alarms me. I and many of my colleagues are happy with our status as professional pharmacists. We are the guardians of the nation's medicines and, although there are many potential saboteurs of this, our independent role, we are well respected by our communities of customers, other health professionals and the Government. Hemant Patel and his colleagues should be concentrating on effecting a remuneration strategy for community pharmacists rather than attempting to compromise our independence by involving us inappropriately in prescribing.
Barry Shooter
Romford, Essex