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The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7178 849-854
15 December 2001

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GSK

With friends like these ...

From Mr C. J. McKendrick, MRPharmS

Last week one of our local medical practices received a letter from GlaxoSmithKline extolling the virtues of Malarone as a method of chemoprophylaxis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

So keen was GSK to promote its product that it then went on to "remind" the practice that paragraph 38 (or section 36 in the Scottish regulations) of GPs' terms of service allowed them to sell anti-malarials direct to their patients, thereby "generating more income for your practice". The letter then gave a telephone number for practices to order the drug for next day delivery.

May I use these columns to thank GSK most sincerely for its unflinching support for community pharmacy.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Chris McKendrick
Swindon, Wiltshire

Dr NORMAN BEGG, director of medical affairs, vaccines and anti-infectives, GlaxoSmithKline replies: GlaxoSmithKline is committed to meeting the varied needs of the different health professionals responsible for prescribing and dispensing our medicines.
To that end, we have provided GP practices and pharmacies with information regarding antimalarial prophylaxis. We have also reminded nurses of available patient information resources, and the NHS terms and conditions that allow GPs to prescribe and dispense antimalarials directly to patients.
To better support pharmacies, we have developed +Plus, GSK's new programme for community pharmacy. +Plus includes an increase in GSK's commitment to and investment in pharmacy, including an overall increase in discount and access to deals for all pharmacy customers, large and small.
In addition, +Plus services address key pharmacy concerns, such as a stock swap scheme to replace out of date products and payment of discount before customers need to pay distributor invoices.

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