From Mr S. Whitaker. MRPharmS, and Dr A. M. Alexander, FRPharmS
SIR,—The letter from Goodyer et al (PJ, October 28, p650)
comments on the lack of correspondence in the letters pages of The Journal on
the Government plans for pharmacy, pointing to expectations of prophecies of
doom or predictions of a golden future, and calling for a vigorous and active
debate. Such a debate has been happening on the virtual pages of the internet
discussion forum Private-Rx (www.private-rx.co.uk),
perhaps indicating the need for “real time” discussion of such an
important document. Since the launch of “Pharmacy in the future” at
the the British Pharmaceutical Conference in September there have 55 postings
about the document and its proposals.
In addition, the Private-Rx website has hosted a survey to seek the views of
all pharmacists on “Pharmacy in the future” (PJ, September 30, p472).
A preliminary analysis of responses to the survey shows that the initiatives
about helping patients get the best from their medicines — “the Government
will invest at least an additional £30m in total over the next three years
to secure better use of medicines” and “by 2004, in every part of
the country, patients will be getting extra help from pharmacists in using medicines,
reducing the amount of illness caused by medicines not being used correctly,
and cutting waste” — have been given the highest priority by all sectors
of the profession. About three quarters of all respondents considered that these
initiatives should be progressed as a matter of urgency, with most of the remainder
saying they should be taken forward within the next two to four years.
In contrast the suggestion that electronic prescribing will “open the door
to getting prescriptions dispensed by e-pharmacies” was seen as the lowest
priority. A quarter of all respondents thought this of no priority and a further
third thought it of low priority.
The results of the survey to date also indicate some differences in views of
the various sectors of the profession. For example, only 18 per cent of community
employees and locums thought that the suggestion “when patients need medicines
out of hours, they will get them easily” was a high priority, compared
with 42 per cent of primary care pharmacists, perhaps indicating whom the additional
workload would fall upon!
The survey can still be found on the Private-Rx website at www.private-rx.co.uk/pharmacystrategy/.
We would ask all pharmacists to visit the survey and complete it so that our
results can have a greater significance.
Simon Whitaker
Cardiff
Angela Alexander
Maidenhead, Berkshire