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Medicines

Items of commerce?

From Mr C. A. Benjamin, MRPharmS

Your correspondent Jayesh Patel (PJ, April 21, p540) is probably not aware how near we were to having this matter of medicines as items of commerce dealt with. Some 30-odd years ago a Royal Commission was set up (as a result of the thalidomide disaster) on which two pharmacists served. After a couple of years of deliberation, the commission recommended that medicines in supermarkets, like alcohol and tobacco, were not simply articles of commerce and therefore should be kept in a separate and distinctive place like alcohol and tobacco. The grocery lobby in Parliament launched such a tirade against this that the  Minister responsible asked the Royal Commission to look at this again. The commission did so, and, wonder of wonders, after four weeks completely reversed its decision, which was the product of two years of measured consideration.

There were two pharmacists on that commission, one of whom, Bill Darling, is now retiring from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council after giving the profession nearly 40 years of invaluable service. I asked Mr Darling shortly after that time, why the pharmacists on the commission, instead of acquiescing in the altered ruling, had not issued a minority report adhering to the original findings. It would appear, according to the answer I received that night, that the members of the commission had been sworn in under the Official Secrets Act and could not discuss the matter. Since the matter occurred over 30 years ago, can Mr Darling now enlighten us as to the reason why he and his colleague went along with a change obviously obtained by pressure from the grocery lobby, to the detriment of the profession, and certainly not in the public interest?

Cyril Benjamin
Leeds

BILL DARLING replies:

I was a member of the Medicines Commission, not a Royal Commission, for a period of eight years in total. Like all bodies of that kind, their deliberations were private and confidential. However, I can reveal, and I am sure it will be no surprise to anyone, that I voted against the decision. I should also say that I have never seen the benefit of minority reports; in my view they achieve nothing. During my term of office, we also achieved the restriction of the pack size of aspirin and paracetamol. I worked then and have been working since to ensure that medicines are not regarded as ordinary items of commerce and I have stood on the platform at every Council election in which I have participated since then to reinforce that view.

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