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Letters to the Editor
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Sociology
Brutal and unjustified criticism
From Dr P. J. Bates, MRPharmS
I believe that the criticism laid on “The social context of pharmacy”
(PJ, 12 October, p525) was rather brutal and unjustified and I for one
would like to convey to the authors of the article that I found it neither
incomprehensible nor irrelevant. I appreciate that some language in sociology
is difficult to grasp for the scientifically-trained mind, but once the
concepts are understood the relevance to pharmacy becomes apparent. As
pharmacists, we are socially engaged with the public and we need to understand
their behaviour and attitudes towards health and illness, otherwise we
are merely dispensing robots. In health promotion and practice research
it helps to understand the sociological forces that are at work and this
discipline can be approached in a scientific manner.
I would think that a considerable proportion of the PJ’s readership
is involved in professional activities that incorporate some sociology.
As a community pharmacist with only a basic training in sociology, I have
found this series of articles to be of value and I am keeping them for
future reference. Such articles may open the narrow minds of some pharmacists,
if only they are willing.
Philip Bates
Bassett, Southampton
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