The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7170 p536
20 October 2001

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Supervision: reopening the debate
Scotland lead the way

Supervision: reopening the debate

Supervision of the sale of medicines and poisons, or of the dispensing process, has been at the heart of many of pharmacy’s most trenchant disputes, almost from the formation of the Pharmaceutical Society itself. At least one special general meeting has been called over the topic.

However, since the last time the subject was debated, circumstances in pharmacy practice, technology and society have changed. One prime example of this is the existence of mobile telephones, now an everyday accessory.

Earlier this month, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council heard a presentation by the Society’s head of ethics (Helen Darracott), which we summarise this week (p577). The Council is to hold a special meeting next month to discuss its policy. Pharmacists will undoubtedly want to join in this debate. The question that needs an answer is: “How can community pharmacists both supervise work within their pharmacies and be available to carry out new services, possibly outside the pharmacy?” Your views are welcomed.

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Scotland leads the way

The strong theme running through this issue of The Journal is the place of pharmaceutical care/medicines management on the United Kingdom’s and world’s playing fields. Unfortunately, in some countries the playing fields are a great deal flatter than in others. Professor Linda Strand, one of the architects of pharmaceutical care, describes how much progress pharmacists have made in Minnesota (p569). In Northern Ireland a new pharmacy service is under way (p556), while in Scotland there is a great deal of activity on the pharmaceutical care front. A project director has just been appointed to identify examples of good practice among model pharmaceutical care schemes, and help roll out schemes in palliative care, the frail elderly and patients with enduring mental illness (p564 and p579).

Yet, there are still huge barriers to the uptake of pharmaceutical care. An original paper, based on the views of Scottish pharmacists, reveals that nearly 80 per cent of community and practice pharmacists believe that the current remuneration structure is entirely inappropriate for the providing pharmaceutical care (p549). In fact, there is a disincentive built into the system for community pharmacists to offer advice and rationalise the number of prescribed medicines many patients receive. Let us hope that the Scottish Executive has taken this on board, and that when the pharmacy plan for Scotland is announced, it offers pharmacists the chance of performing on a level surface and leading the whole profession forward.

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