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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7189 p360-364
16 March 2002

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Letters to the Editor

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MEP guide

Is the guide missing vital information?

From Mr K. Khan

As a preregistration trainee I am eager to expand my pharmaceutical knowledge in order to provide the best possible health care I can to patients. In order to do this I need to have the most appropriate and up-to-date material available, including the "Medicines, ethics and practice" guide.

Since pharmacy as a profession seems to be moving forward, I find it strange that I have to look up information regarding such issues as what medicines require storage at low temperature, the ethics regarding the emergency supply of medicines and issues regarding pregnancy testing in the pharmacy in previous editions of the MEP. The latest edition of the MEP seems to be missing a lot of vital information. As I mentioned to one of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's inspectors recently, to her agreement, I believe that the latest copy of the MEP needs some serious amendments, because what was once a useful reference source seems now to be collecting dust on the shelves of many pharmacies.

Khorrum Khan
Rugby

HELEN DARRACOTT (head of professional standards, Royal Pharmaceutical Society) replies:

The most recent edition of "Medicines, ethics and practice" (number 25; July 2001) does not include some information that appeared in earlier editions, for a number of reasons. In the case of the areas referred to above, any special storage requirements for a medicine will be those stated on the product packaging, or in the summary of product characteristics. The new Code of Ethics (May 2001) does not contain any guidance — all guidance is now in the "Practice guidance" section of "Medicines, ethics and practice" and on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's website. Advice on pregnancy testing was being rewritten at the time of going to press, and revised guidance has been available on the Society's website since September 2001.

Pharmacists must ensure that they only use information sources that are current, and use their own judgement in deciding how to act. No publication can or should be used as a substitute for professional judgement.

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