PJ Online | PJ Letters: The Society

Home > PJ (current issue) > Letters | Search

	The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 268 No 7198 p683-685 18 May 2002	This page Reprint Photocopy
		PDF* 65K

Letters

  Education
  Dispensing
  Childhood vaccination
  Community pharmacy
  Supervision
  The Profession
  The Society
  The Council
  The Journal

Letters to the Editor

* PDF files on PJ Online require Acrobat Reader 4 or later.

The Society

Help for preregistration tutors

Jumping on the Shipman bandwagon

Help for preregistration tutors

From Dr A. Shallal, MRPharmS

I read with interest the article by Steve Howard on the role of preregistration tutors (PJ, 13 April, p504). He advised single pharmacists who wanted to get started to "obtain plenty of help and advice" through the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's education division. I contacted the division recently and was referred to the National Pharmaceutical Association. That really was plenty of help and advice!

Asaad Shallal
London NW9

VIRGINIA WYKES, education development officer. Royal Pharmaceutical Society, replies:

I do not know the nature of Mr Shallal's query but conclude from his letter that it related to the development of a preregistration training programme. In the preregistration section of the education division we provide advice and assistance in response to the vast majority of queries that we receive, covering a wide range of issues, but occasionally we have to refer the caller elsewhere because the query is beyond our expertise.

Unfortunately, we did not have sight of Steve Howard's article before it was published but had we done so, we would have clarified that we have limited expertise in the education division to help independent contractors develop training programmes. The tutor training packs and related information we produce describe the requirements and framework for preregistration training programmes, on which the training provider should base its own training programme. Suggestions are given in our materials as to the source of other training resources, study days for trainees, etc. However, employers need to formulate the detail of their programmes, to take into account the particular nature and scope of their pharmacy. Tutors in the hospital and community multiple sectors receive help and support from their regional education and training leads and company training managers, respectively, with whom we liaise closely. Independent community contractors can receive assistance in developing preregistration training programmes from the National Pharmaceutical Association's training department, with which we also liaise closely and to which we refer callers when it is necessary.

I would like to clarify one other aspect of Steve Howard's excellent article which appears to have caused some misunderstanding among readers. The article states that "tutors receive an honorarium". In fact, a payment to individual tutors is not universal. Community pharmacy contractors who employ preregistration trainees receive a training grant from the Department of Health to cover some of the costs of training, but a payment to individual tutors is a matter decided by the employer. Steve Howard's company, Lloydspharmacy, makes payments to its own tutors as described in his article.

Jumping on the Shipman bandwagon

From Mr H. Littler, MRPharmS

Stuart Anderson (PJ, 11 May, p644) bases his case for a separate inspectorate on avoidance of media criticism in the event of an exceptional incident involving a caring, considerate but murderous pharmacist. He overlooks the fact that there have been many deaths involving pharmacy practice over the years, none of which has resulted in the headline writers' field day he predicts. He recommends the establishment of Pharmacy Inspection Authority (PIA) in order to secure pharmacy's future. He says the time has come for a clear and total separation of the professional, regulatory and inspection functions but later concedes that "what might be considered 'professional functions' of the Society" would in fact fall to the new regulatory body.

"Can it [the present inspectorate] guarantee that there could never be a pharmaceutical Shipman?" he asks. Could the proposed new PIA? Would it deploy an army of inspectors to sift through pharmacists' records searching for evidence of supplies of slow acting poisons, or is its purpose just to take the flak?

Investigation of the activities of serial murderers is, and is likely to remain, a matter for the police with bodies such as the Society's inspectorate or the proposed PIA involved only marginally, if at all. Their activities are far more likely to come to light through information provided by pharmacy staff, other pharmacists, doctors, suppliers or agencies with whom the Society and its inspectorate have maintained informal contact for many years.

There may be a case for a separate inspectorate but this attempt to jump on the Shipman bandwagon does nothing to promote one.

Henry Littler
Wigan, Lancashire

Previous Topic (The Profession)
Next Topic (The Council)
Send your letter to The Editor