The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7199 p717-719
25 May 2002

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  Dispensing
  Checking technicians
  Childhood vaccination
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Letters to the Editor

Checking technicians

An initiative allowing employers to control costs

From Mr M. D. Mochan, MRPharmS

I have read with considerable interest the current debate over the employment of accredited checking technicians in community pharmacy.

I believe the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and every community pharmacist in the United Kingdom should take note of the letter by Linda Henderson (PJ, 4 May, p611), which called for a nationally approved qualification for ACTs.

Every employee pharmacist in the UK, whether employed by a multiple or not, should be strongly opposed to this initiative.

I certainly do not believe the rhetoric about this being an opportunity to free the pharmacist's time in order to undertake additional roles. The Government will never adequately remunerate pharmacists for these additional roles. When has it ever adequately remunerated pharmacists for anything? Payment from customers is equally unlikely. So why would a commercially orientated multiple even bother?

Certainly there is a manpower shortage. I cannot help thinking that if employers, in particular the multiples, viewed their pharmacists as an asset as opposed to a "controllable cost", there might not be such a shortage.

If you value your job security, you should all see this for what it is: an initiative to allow employers the opportunity to control costs further.

Murray Mochan
Nelson,
New Zealand

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