The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7204 p903-905
29 June 2002

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  Prescription charges
  Community pharmacy
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Letters to the Editor

Community pharmacy

Sounding the death knell for community pharmacy

From Mr J. D. Barthram, MRPharmS

I am writing in response to the Broad Spectrum article by John Wilson "Is history about to repeat itself" (PJ, 22 June, p870)

In an environment in which we are bombarded with the idea that we should be taking on specialist services and sending petitions to primary care trusts for the funding of pilot studies, it was refreshing to see that there is another side to the argument, which until recently has remained silent

If we take on extra roles, it must not be at the expense of prescription dispensing because this would also be at the expense of patient counselling, drug interaction monitoring, inappropriate prescribing, etc.

If by changes in the regulations we allow others (non pharmacists) to take on these roles in our absence then we will be sounding the death knell for community pharmacy.

Julian Barthram
Chepstow, Gwent

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