The Journal
Modest entry
From Mr J. D. Khan, MRPharmS
SIR,-Despite being critical over some of The Journal's policies over numerous years I was saddened to discover the modest entry in the "About people" section (PJ, July 1, p34) notifying us that you were soon to retire, which I have learnt upon further inquiry is to be an early retirement.
It is extremely worrying that over the past two years or so there have been many "quick" exits of staff from Lambeth which, coupled with other Lambeth happenings, implies that all is not well at the Society's headquarters.
Consider the sequence of events:
- Last year a newly appointed head of the policy support unit left suddenly without any explanation and for a long time this post remained vacant
- Also about this time several Council members wrote letters to The Journal publicly stating their dissatisfaction at the way in which the affairs of the Society were being managed
- There was a press release from the public relations department regarding the purchase of the presidential flat which was followed by an unprecedented (at least in modern times) public apology both to the Council and the membership from our Secretary and Registrar for the bungled handling of the issue
- In more recent times we have seen the Society at odds with other major organisations in pharmacy over a number of crucial issues, such as the training of dispensers and the provision of emergency hormonal contraception, to name two
- In May this year three newly elected Council members decided against standing for a second term, indicating low morale among Council members
- Recently the President and Vice-President were re-elected after having had glorious proposal speeches made on their behalves by "supporters", yet the then Treasurer (Dr Appelbe) was denied this facility, which is unfair and undemocratic
Some people may react to this letter and call me a conspiracy monger, but the point is that I am genuinely concerned that all these happenings add up to a lot more than meets the eye. Your early retirement as editor of the PJ is sad since at least from you we got the uncomfortable truth. I hope for the profession's sake that my theory is wrong but there are many signs to prove this theory and very few to disprove it. What other embarrassments and problems are waiting to surface? Lambeth never ceases to amaze!
J. D. Khan
Rochdale, Lancashire