The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 266 No 7153 p852-856
June 23, 2001

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The Journal

Fraudulent letters

From Mr A. M. Murdock, MRPharmS

Readers may recall a letter you published purportedly from John McArdle (PJ, April 28, p573) and the printing of a subsequent apology from The Journal (PJ, May 19, p677). Mr McArdle never penned the letter.

I am aware that there have been a further five letters, one of which unfortunately has been published, all purporting to come from employees currently working for Lloyds Pharmacy Ltd. They have not been written by our employees. Fortunately, you are fully aware of our problem.

I accept that it is difficult to verify completely that a letter submitted for publication is genuine — but you should be able to accept correspondence on trust. The fact remains that there are people within the profession willing to act as impostors for the furtherance of their own particular viewpoint and who are, therefore, distorting out of all proportion a particular angle on a subject.

Why do they feel it necessary to hide behind someone else’s name? Does this practice constitute “bringing the profession into disrepute”? If so, it may be a case for the Statutory Committee.

Andy Murdock
Director of Pharmacy and Superintendent Pharmacist
Lloyds Pharmacy Ltd

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