The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7218 p483
5 October 2002

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Letters to the Editor

BPC

Community pharmacists were conspicuous by their absence

From Mrs E. E. T. H. Hopkins, MRPharmS

I have just come back from the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester. From the list of attendees, two of us shone like beacons, as independent community pharmacists.

It has cost us in the region of £1,500 for locums, accommodation and travel, etc. There were members attending the conference from industry, academia and social services. There were pharmaceutical advisers, members of various NHS trusts, pharmacologists and biochemists, but if there were any other independent community pharmacists who attended, I would be interested to know.

Yet this group — independent community pharmacists — is the most vulnerable and most affected by the conference. For example, supplementary prescribing will only be allowed with the agreement and co-operation of local general practitioners, so do independent community pharmacists really stand a chance? There were also issues raised about local pharmaceutical services, discussions on law and ethics, on new innovations and on new drugs that, as the retiring president of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Services said, community pharmacists will have to persuade patients to take — yet we were conspicuous by our absence.

Taking all of this into account, perhaps the answer lies in the scientists organising the next conference. The pharmacists and anyone else involved in the health of the nation could then attend if they so wished. The conference fee would then be much lower.

E. Hopkins
London W5

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