The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7178 p839-846
15 December 2001

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Private-Rx sold to medM Ltd

Private-Rx, an internet discussion forum for pharmacists, has been sold by its founder Simon Whittaker to medM Ltd, an education provider owned by non-pharmacist Dr Darrin Baines, for an undisclosed sum. Dr Baines pledged that Private-Rx will remain "exclusive, independent and free".

The sale follows discussions about the future funding of the discussion forum and its associated website (www.private-rx.co.uk). Mr Whittaker asked members in October whether they would be prepared to pay a subscription fee to maintain the service. He said that an income was necessary because "Private-Rx has reached a size where running it as a hobby in my spare time is no longer viable".

Subsequent discussions suggested that neither subscriptions nor advertising or sponsorship would entirely meet members' approval.

Mr Whittaker told The Journal that he had contemplated closing the website and moving its three discussion lists (pharmacy, technical and chat) to another web host due to a lack of time and resources. Dr Baines had then offered to take over Private-Rx.

Dr Baines said that if Private-Rx were to continue then it would have to be treated like a commercial business. However, he guaranteed that membership will remain restricted to pharmacists, the site will continue to operate in the same way as before and that there will be no charges to users.

Day-to-day control of Private-Rx is vested in a steering group of around a dozen members. Dr Baines has joined this group, even though at present, as a non-pharmacist, he is not eligible to use the service he now owns. Anthony Cox, a member of the steering group, commented: "Although it may seem ironic to some, Dr Baines has secured Private-Rx's future".

The steering group will be meeting in the new year to discuss how some of the initiatives planned by Mr Whittaker can be taken forward. There is likely to be a drive to increase membership from its present level of around 1,200 members.

Since the sale was announced on 6 December, correspondence on the main pharmacy discussion list has been generally positive towards it.

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