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Community pharmacy

Excessive hours should be unethical

From Mr E. P. Crabtree, MRPharmS

I write in support of Graham Hanson (PJ, March 31, p422). Pharmacists should resist the tendency to longer and longer working hours. Apart from the pharmacist's entitlement to adequate leisure, there is the question of risk to patients' well being and even lives if the pharmacist is overtired.

As a locum pharmacist (I am now retired) I would endeavour to make sure that all engagements involved normal working hours and lunch breaks. If I subsequently found out that this was not the case, I refused return engagements. I commend this action to today's locums.

However, they are entitled to support from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. The Society should state clearly that working excessive hours is considered to be unethical.

Finally I suggest pharmacists should consider joining a trade union. I believe MSF still welcomes employees and even independent locum pharmacists as members. Anyone interested will find further details on the website at msf.org.uk.

Philip Crabtree
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire

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