The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7215 p358-361
14 September 2002

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Letters to the Editor

The Society

Unity or federation?

From Mrs E Barrie, MRPharmS

The snapshot results (PJ, 7 September, p341) of 1,760 pharmacist respondents to The Journal's survey indicate that 65 per cent (around 1,147 respondents) agree or strongly agree that the Royal Pharmaceutical Society should consider uniting with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland. Have the members of the PSNI been surveyed to find out what they believe should happen? One wonders how they would have responded?

Furthermore, it would be interesting to know how many of the 1,147 respondents were based in England, Scotland or Wales? Those in Scotland and Wales would possibly have a better understanding of reserved powers and devolved matters than those in England. Yes, regulation of the health professions is a power reserved to Westminster, but since the planning and delivery of health and social care in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have been devolved to the relevant parliament or assembly for some years, would a democratic federation of pharmaceutical societies for all four home countries of the United Kingdom not be worth considering, perhaps better serve the members and thus be more appropriate?

Erica Barrie
Abertawe, Cymru

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