From Mr D. A. Hancox, MRPharmS
SIR,—Whoever is appointed editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal must surely
be able to demonstrate a longstanding commitment to pharmacy, a passion for
its future development and a deep knowledge and understanding of the science
and practice of pharmacy. I therefore fail to see how the post can be advertised
as being open to someone who is not a pharmacist.
There may be some posts at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s headquarters
that can be filled by non-pharmacists — the post of editor of The Pharmaceutical
Journal, like the post of Secretary and Registrar, is not one of those posts.
The current advertisement signals a lack of confidence, by the Society’s
Officers and Council, that there is, among the broad and varied membership of
the Society, a pharmacist who has the appropriate qualities to be the editor
and to maintain the high standard set by the previous editors of The Journal.
I do not share that lack of confidence and I doubt if there will be many members
who do.
Douglas Hancox
Auckland,
New Zealand