The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7225 p744
23 November 2002

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  Public health
  Community pharmacy
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  Parkinson's disease
  Anticholinesterases
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Letters to the Editor

Medicines distribution

Unhindered by pharmaceutical knowledge

From Dr B. Wells, MRPharmS

I was interested to read the letter from Dorothy Drury (PJ, 19 October, p565) which quite correctly drew attention to the need for all who sell medicines to be properly trained. I suppose that this should include news-agents, grocers, supermarket staff or even slot machines. She also singled out those who may sell medicines to our President at car boot sales.

However, I would hope that, as an eminent pharmacist, Marshall Davies would be aware of the properties of any medicines obtained from such a source, especially as some of the products identified by Mrs Drury are on special offer at his previous place of employment.

Mrs Drury, however, does highlight the fact that pharmaceutical distribution to consumers is becoming an increasingly diverse activity involving many members of the public, who are able to operate in a whole range of fields, unhindered by pharmaceutical knowledge, professional restrictions or disciplinary procedures. It would be useful if the Royal Pharmaceutical Society could tap into the rich veins of experience and expertise available in this group and possibly even seek to appoint representatives from it to the Council, with a view to better regulating pharmacists. It would be interesting to see if there is any support for the adoption of such an idea, as the benefits are self-evident.

Brian Wells
Aldbrough, East Yorkshire

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