From Mr R. Malkin, FRPharmS
SIR,-During the past weeks The Journal has given prominence to several articles regarding the development of on-line pharmacy in Britain, including an interview with Daniel Lee, the founder of Pharmacy2U (PJ, April 15, p576) and a report entitled "Public will demand on-line pharmacy" from the Institute of Pharmacy Management International/Young Pharmacists Group weekend meeting (PJ, April 22, p633).
Mr Lee stated in his interview: "We now have 35 vans operating out of our Leeds depot and we want to open depots in Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and London." At present, Pharmacy2U only dispenses private prescriptions, along with other trading, but, and I quote, "We are looking at NHS dispensing".
Surely this is not a professional manner in which to issue prescription medicines? For many years, pharmacists have been present when the prescription is handed in, and when the resulting medication is handed over to the patient (or the person who has handed in the form). The pharmacist is then able to pass on information regarding the use of the preparations and to explain any adverse reactions that could occur.
This brings to mind two occasions when I received prescriptions for Suscard buccal tablets (1992). On the first occasion, after handing over his FP10 to me, an elderly man retracted his upper lip saying, "What is this?". He had a nasty dental caries on the central part of his upper gum. I questioned him as to the time when he inserted the last tablet of the day. He replied, "About 8pm", and went on to say that fragments of the tablet were sometimes still present in his mouth the next morning. I warned him about strict dental hygiene when using this preparation, explaining what had caused the trouble to his gum, and then suggested he should visit his GP. A similar case with an elderly man was seen at the same pharmacy within a few months. These interventions could not have taken place using an on-line pharmacy system.
McDonald's fast food arrived in Britain from the United States. Is it now to be followed by "Fast Pharmacy in a New Age"? I sincerely hope not.
R. Malkin
Newcastle, Staffordshire