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	The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 268 No 7191 p431-434 30 March 2002	This page Reprint Photocopy
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Drugs of abuse

Pharmacists are the experts

From Mr M. W. Jackson, MRPharmS

The Liberal Democrats have supported moves towards decriminalising cannabis and appear to have a general, more liberal attitude to the more serious drugs of abuse like heroin and cocaine. Nevertheless debate at their recent spring conference indicates that there is concern over easy access to these drugs.

The anti-smoking campaign is achieving some success and smoking is now becoming an antisocial habit to be avoided if one is to enjoy better health and longer life. Unfortunately we have not been successful in getting a similar message across to those who "enjoy" drugs of addiction.

The National Pharmaceutical Association has been running an excellent "Ask your pharmacist" campaign over a number of years. But this should be our professional body that tells the public that, after pursuing a four-year academic course and a year of practical study under supervision, pharmacists are the professionals qualified to speak about all drugs, including drugs of misuse, and the physiological and psychological effects of drugs addiction.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society's public relations department should have a direct line to the news media, whether television channels or daily newspapers, including the popular press, whenever drugs and drug addiction are discussed to put the pharmaceutical facts forward. Unless the Society does something, another health profession — perhaps the nursing profession — will willingly take on the role. If this happens, pharmacy will lose another opportunity to raise its profile.

Maurice Jackson
Brent Knoll, Somerset

BEVERLEY PARKIN, director of public affairs, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, replies:

The Society is active in promoting pharmacists' roles and concerns in the support offered to drug misusers.

For the past five years, the Society has been pursuing a campaign for the reform of regulations governing pharmacy services to drug misusers. This year, the Society gave oral evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on drugs policy and has held a meeting with the responsible minister.

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