Do not miss the wake-up call

Now that the shock of the loss of resale price maintenance (RPM) is beginning to wear off, many community pharmacists are thinking of the future. But before the ghost of RPM is finally laid to rest, they need to examine the new Code of Ethics that was adopted at the annual general meeting last week (p710).

The Journal has received many letters this week complaining and criticising the way that Boots The Chemists, in particular, has been promoting Nurofen. None of these letters have been published simply because they all refer to the previous Code of Ethics. The new code — which was, it must be remembered, drawn up with cognisance of both RPM and the Competition Act — makes it clear that some promotion is now acceptable. Of course, as the new Code of Ethics was going through the consultation process few community pharmacists took on board the implications of the Competition Act that would only take precedence when RPM was abandoned. And now, suddenly it has been, pharmacists are feeling the sharp wind of reality.

The Society's Law and Ethics Committee intends to hold a special meeting in June to discuss the implications of the code in the harsher commercial climate. In the meantime, The Journal has attempted to provide some guidance on life after RPM (p703-4). We also recommend reading the statement Bill Darling, chairman of the Code of Ethics working party, made when he introduced the new code at the AGM (p710). Finally, Sue Sharpe, director of professional standards, explained at the open forum held just before the AGM why the case in favour of RPM collapsed so abruptly. That is worth reading, too (p715).

So what will life be like after RPM? Those who already long for the past are doomed to a life of disappointment. Of course, some financial recompense for the loss of RPM is likely to be sought in the next round of negotiations in terms of dispensing fee, but the real breakthrough will come from a new contract.

Those community pharmacists who really see themselves as part of the primary care team and who want to be involved in medicines management and offer other services to their local primary care organisations, have the best chance of sitting at the same table with other health care professionals. Professor Alison Blenkinsopp, who has been awarded the Society's Charter gold medal for 2001, pointed out that “Pharmacy in the future” is not a passing fad but a wake-up call to the profession (p716). And as Hemant Patel, secretary of North East London Local Pharmaceutical Committees stated at the AAH Pharmaceuticals and Vantage Convention, also held last week: “We are only 30 months away from 2004 and the date set by the Government for a national roll-out of a medicines management programme” (p730). Many pharmacists chose to ignore the writing on the wall over RPM, and are only now starting to think what they should do. Do not let it happen in 2004.

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